Pacific Bleeding Heart
Dicentra formosa, 3.5" pot
Habit: perennial growing from spreading rhizomes. The leaves are found at the base of the plant, and are divided three times with many lobes making it appear feathery and fern-like. Flowers nod in groups of 5-12 from the tips of long stems that rise above the mound of leaves. Flowers are pinkish purple, and heart shaped, blooming between April and July.
Ecology: found in shady, moist forests, along streambanks and coastal meadows. Native to the Pacific Coast, west of the Cascades below 6800 ft (2100 m).
Growing Conditions: full shade to part sun or dappled light and moist to wet well drained soil with good organic content.
Spreads moderately fast.
photo credit: Pacific bleeding heart, Carol Jacobs-Carre, Flickr, (CC BY-SA 2.0)
photo credit: Dicentra formosa on Iron Horse Trail, J Brew, Flickr, (CC BY-SA 2.0)
photo credit: Bleeding heart, Peter Stevens, Flickr, (CC BY 2.0)
