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Genus Dicentra (Bleeding heart)

Dicentra Dicentra 'King of Hearts' Photo/Illustration: Jennifer Benner
dy-SEN-trah Common Name: Bleeding heart
Dicentra leaves are green to silver-green, much divided, and often very fine. The flowers are pendent and hang off arching stems in spring. Flowers are brightly colored, and their distinct heart shape adds interest. 
 Noteworthy characteristics: Fern- or parsley-like foliage with pendent, heart-shaped flowers in red, white, pink, purple or yellow. Foliage may aggravate skin allergies.
 Care: Grow in fertile, well-drained slightly alkaline soil in part shade and allow to self-sow. Grow alpine species in sharply draining soil. Cut back after foliage yellows and withers.
 Propagation: Sow seeds in containers in spring. Divide plants in spring.
 Problems: Slugs and snails can attack new foliage. Powdery mildew, rust, fungal leaf spot, and verticillium wilt. Foliage may aggravate skin allergies.

Species, varieties and cultivars for genus Dicentra

Dicentra 'King of Hearts' Dicentra 'King of Hearts'
(Bleeding heart) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

'King of Hearts' has bright rose-pink, heart-shaped flowers in clusters over blue-green parsley-like foliage. It offers the garden a long blooming season, plump flowers, and rich colors.
Dicentra eximia ‘Alba’ Dicentra eximia ‘Alba’
(Fringed bleeding heart, Turkey corn) (1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Rows of white flowers dangle above the fern-like foliage, opening in April and continuing intermittently until October.
Dicentra formosa Dicentra formosa
(Western bleeding heart) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Don't let its delicate appearance fool you: Western bleeding heart is hardy and tenacious. This elegant, herbaceous perennial spreads slowly from rhizomes to form drifts of soft blue-green, ferny foliage in shady woodland areas. Above the leaves in late spring, pink heart-shaped flowers hang gracefully from long, arched stems, attracting scores of hummingbirds but not the local deer. It is surprisingly drought tolerant during the summer months.
Dicentra scandens 'Athens Yellow'
 Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Bright yellow heart-shaped flowers bloom in April or May; bloom continues off and on throughout the season. This climbing perennial can reach 3 feet high and wide. The species is native to the Himalayas.
Dicentra spectabilis Dicentra spectabilis
(Bleeding heart, Lyre flower) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

A garden favorite for many years, bleeding heart has soft green foliage and 1-inch-long rose pink and white heart-shaped flowers for several weeks in spring. Plants can form clumps 3 feet across and almost as tall. Foliage generally goes dormant in summer, so be sure to choose companion plants carefully so there isn't an empty space left in the garden. Beautiful in a border or woodland garden.
Dicentra spectabilis 'Gold Heart' Dicentra spectabilis 'Gold Heart'
(Bleeding heart, Lyre flower) (1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Golden yellow foliage emerges from the ground in early spring and is soon accompanied by rosy-pink broken hearts that open in succession for nearly a month as the stems elongate.