Bleeding-Hearts, Wild And Tame

Day 213: Sigh. I hadn't planned this post to be another essay on taxonomy (and I'll keep this portion brief), but Bleeding-Hearts, wild and tame, have been a subject of some debate for some time. The waters seem to have reached their own levels at this point, or at least I hope so. Our wild Pacific Bleeding-Heart (left) is still classified as Dicentra formosa, but the Asian Bleeding-Heart (right), coveted for the colour it adds to the shade garden, has been renamed Lamprocapnos spectabilis, although it is still marketed as Dicentra in many places. The native plant bears significantly smaller flowers in a single panicle, as opposed to the horizontal racemes of Lamprocapnos, many of which branch from the main stem and justify the "spectabilis" portion of the scientific name quite admirably. Both have brittle root systems, and thus should not be moved once they are established. Hummingbirds are attracted to the pink flowers and may assist pollination, but the chief pollinators of either type of plant are long-tongued butterflies and bees. Abundant in the forests of my childhood, Pacific Bleeding-Heart is not seen as frequently now, and I feel a slight sense of guilt for all the "hearts" I popped in my youth. If only we had had bubble-wrap in those days!

Hearts Arising

Day 156: When I moved into my home some thirty years ago, one of the first things I planted was a clump of nursery-grown Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra). I did so without giving any thought to the fragility of the stems, and put them in a location where they couldn't be safely maintained (i.e., I kept hitting them with the lawnmower). They lasted a couple of years and then refused to come back. Can't say I blamed them. A couple of years ago, I laid in a new flower bed off the north side of my carport, perfect habitat for this shade-loving species among maidenhair and other ferns. They've done very well and have just recently come through a naturally-occurring mulch of wisteria leaves. I do enjoy my garden, especially those portions of it which require little care.

Pacific Bleeding-Heart, Dicentra Formosa

Day 206: The charming shape of Pacific Bleeding-Heart's pillow-puff blossoms endears it to young and old alike. This plant invokes an aura of faeries and fantasy, as if at any moment, a tiny smiling face and a pair of gossamer wings might appear from within its lacy foliage. The stems break easily, so mind where you tread If you go hunting for the wee folk in a glade of Bleeding-Heart.