Dicentra formosa (
western or
Pacific bleeding-heart) is a
herbaceous perennial growing from a
rhizome, native to moist
woodland from
California to
British Columbia.
Description
Leaves are finely divided and
fernlike, growing from the base of the plant.
Flowers are pink, red, or white and heart-shaped and bloom in clusters at the top of leafless, fleshy stems above the leaves from mid-
spring to
autumn, with peak flowering in spring. The four
petals are attached at the base. The two outer
petals form a pouch at the base and curve outwards at the tips. The two inner petals are perpendicular to the outer petals and connected at the tip. There are two tiny, pointed
sepals behind the petals.
Seeds are borne in plump, pointed
pods.
The plant frequently goes
dormant for the
summer after flowering, emerging and flowering again in
autumn.
Similar species
This species is frequently confused with and sold as
Dicentra eximia, which has narrower flowers and longer, more curved outer petal tips.
Subspecies
There are two
subspecies:
- Dicentra formosa subsp. formosa — leaves glaucous beneath and never glaucous above, flowers purple pink to pink or white<br><small>western slope of Sierra Nevada, Coast Ranges to central California, Cascades, extreme southwestern British Columbia</small>
- Dicentra formosa subsp. oregona (often spelled oregana) — leaves glaucous above and beneath, flowers cream or pale yellow<br><small>small area of northwestern California......
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