Dicentra spectabilis AlbaBleeding heart
科:紫堇科
Family:Fumariaceae
属:荷包牡丹属
common name:Bleeding heart
introduce:Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Fumariaceae
Missouri Native: No
Native Range: None
Height: 2 to 2.5 feet
Spread: 1.5 to 2 feet
Bloom Time: April - May
Bloom Color: White
Sun: Part shade to full shade
Water: Medium moisture
Maintenance: Medium
General Culture:
Easily grown in average, medium wet, well-drained soil in part shade to full shade. Prefers moist, humusy soils in part shade. Intolerant of wet soils in winter and dry soils in summer. The foliage usually goes dormant by mid-summer in the St. Louis area, but may die back earlier if soils are allowed to dry out. May self-seed in optimum growing conditions.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
Alba is a white flowered form of the common bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis - C480) which has been an old garden favorite for many years. It is a clump-forming plant which typically forms a foliage mound to 30" tall of graceful, ternately compound (less dissected with larger leaflets than most other Dicentra species), fern-like, soft green leaves. Nodding, heart-shaped, white flowers (1" long) borne on one side of and hanging in a row on long, arching racemes above the foliage mound bloom in mid to late spring. Common name is in reference to the protruding inner petals of the heart-shaped flowers which purportedly resemble a "bleeding heart" (this image obviously makes less sense with this white-flowered form than with the species plant which features rose flowers with protruding white inner petals).
Problems:
No serious insect or disease problems. Some susceptibility to aphid infestations. Good soil drainage is essential for plant survival. Foliage goes dormant in summer.
Uses:
Best in shaded borders and woodland gardens. It is best to plant this bleeding heart through a loose ground cover or among later developing perennials such as hostas or ferns which will expand to fill in the gaps as the bleeding heart foliage dies back in summer.
