Dicentra

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaIndoor plantsPlant Health CareUncategorized
Written By Peter Morris

Dicentra is a genus of plants commonly called bleeding hearts – this name comes from the shape of the flowers – WE LOVE them ! 

Description

Dicentra is from the Greek dís – meaning twice and kéntron meaning a spur. This genus contains eight species of herbaceous perennial plants with heart-shaped flowers and finely divided foliage. They are all related to poppies. 

Environment

Primarily native to North America, they are also several found in temperate East Asia. Preferring cool, moist woodland areas, they typically grow to a height and width of 1 foot. Most will tolerate deep shade – but will not bloom in the intense full sun. 

Flowers

Many of the species often have two-toned heart-shaped blooms, hence the common name bleeding heart. Hummingbirds love the nectar-rich flowers. 

LOVE !

Plant Problems

Mostly a low maintenance flowering plants - it adds color to a shade garden and yet are resistant to damage by slugs. If deer are a problem in your garden, you will probably find they ignore all dicentras. We usually don’t have deer in NYC rooftops ! 

Care

Soil should never be allowed to dry out during summer. That said – they are intolerant of wet soils in winter. By promptly removing spent flowering stems you can promote additional blooms. 

Ethnobotany

Pacific bleeding heart was used as an anthelmintic, topical analgesic (for toothache) and to make hair grow by the Native American Skagit people living in the state of Washington. They pounded the roots in a decoction for worm medicine. An infusion of the crushed plants was used as a wash to make hair grow. The raw roots were chewed for toothaches. 

Poisonous

Sap is mildly poisonous causing skin irritation after repeated contact. If ingested they will cause gastrointestinal problems.

Just to be sure - keep away from children and pets ! 

Species

Dicentra canadensis - squirrel-corn - eastern North America

Dicentra cucullaria - Dutchman's-breeches - eastern North America

Dicentra eximia - fringed bleeding-heart - turkey-corn - Appalachian Mountains

Dicentra formosa - western or Pacific bleeding-heart- Pacific Coast of North America

Dicentra nevadensis - Sierra bleeding-heart - Sierra Nevada to central eastern California

Dicentra pauciflora - short-horn steer's-head - Oregon and California - sorry no picture !

Dicentra peregrina – Makino – Japan, Kuril and Sakhalin Islands, and NE Siberia

Dicentra uniflora - long-horn steer's-head - western United States

Cultivars

There are several hybrids and cultivars involving D. eximia, D. formosa, and D. peregrina. 

Dicentra spectabilis "Gold Heart" is a beautiful cultivar our favorite !

Here in NYC we plant them for an early Spring Surprise !

Call us - we know !

PLANT SPECIALISTS

GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 53 YEARS !

Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBA

All photographs used with permission @SHUTTERSTOCK

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

Next

All About Lantana Camara: A Summer Favorite