Day 213: On May 5, I posted a photo of the commercially-cultivated Asian Bleeding-Heart in my garden and mentioned that it is both larger and more colourful than our native variety. They bear the same species name, Lamprocapnos spectabilis (formerly Dicentra spectabilis), but I suspect there is subspecies nomenclature I have not been able to unearth. This charming plant is easy to grow, but prefers a shady or semi-shady site where its roots will be kept cool and moist. The stems and roots are fragile, so once you've planted your Bleeding-Hearts, don't disturb them and they will reward you for many years to come.
Bleeding-Heart flowers have a unique physiology. Each blossom is composed of four petals. The two outer ones form the pink "heart" which gives them their common name. The inner two petals are the pointy bit which projects from the bottom of the heart. These petals fully enclose the reproductive structures of the flower and never open. The flower is cleistogamous, i.e., it self-pollinates within the confines of these petals and never requires a visit from an external pollinator.
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