Dicentra 'Luxuriant'

Dicentra 'Luxuriant': Lacy Leaves and No Midsummer Vanishing Act

Most bleeding hearts bloom, then leave town for the summer. 'Luxuriant' sticks around for the whole season, dangling cherry-red hearts over ferny blue-green leaves. LOYAL, LOW AND LOOKING GOOD.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Dicentra 'Luxuriant' (D. eximia × D. formosa)
• Common Name: Fern-leaf Bleeding Heart
• Height: 30–38 cm (12–15 in)
• Spread: 45 cm (18 in)
• Flowers: Cherry-red to deep rose hearts in small clusters on arching stems
• Bloom Time: Late spring through summer (May to August), longer with deadheading
• Foliage: Finely cut, blue-green and ferny. It stays attractive through summer when the soil is kept moist.
• Features: Long blooming

Where to Plant: Its compact size suits the front of a shady border, the edge of a woodland path or a spot under shrubs, and planted in groups it makes a soft, lacy groundcover. It doesn't leave a hole in midsummer, so it can hold a prominent spot all season.

Companion Plants: Pulmonaria 'Moonshine' flowers blue in April and May and keeps a low clump of foliage at the front. Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum' adds arching stems and white bells in May and June, a graceful contrast to ferny bleeding heart leaves. Tricyrtis hirta carries on with white flowers in August and September. All three are at home in shade or part sun, giving the woodland bed interest from spring to fall.

Plant Care: Plant in part shade to full shade in moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil. Add compost to heavy clay so it drains in winter. It can take morning sun if the soil stays moist. Keep it watered during dry spells. Drought is what sends the foliage into early retreat. Snip off spent flower stems to keep new ones coming. Cut the foliage back in late fall or early spring. Divide in early spring every few years if the clump gets crowded.

History: 'Luxuriant' is a garden hybrid of two North American species: fringed bleeding heart, Dicentra eximia, from the Appalachian Mountains, and western bleeding heart, D. formosa, from the Pacific coast. The genus name comes from Greek for two spurs, a nod to the shape of the flowers.

Final Thoughts: Keep the soil moist and it keeps the hummingbirds coming back for refills. THIS PLANT ACTUALLY RETURNS YOUR CALLS.