Dicentra eximia - Wild Bleeding Hearts

Bring native woodland plant magic to your shade garden with the rare Dicentra eximia, true Appalachian treasures. Gorgeous pink heart-shaped flowers and lush, fern-like foliage make these perennial showstoppers in shady areas.

They have many names, such as Bleeding Heart, Fringed Bleeding Heart, and Wild Bleeding Heart - but are not to be confused with the common and often-planted Asian Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis.

Classified as a Significantly Rare North Carolina species, cultivating Dicentra eximia contributes to native plant conservation. 

Combine these beauties with native Actaea racemosa (Black Cohosh), Asarum canadense (Wild Ginger), Heuchera americana (Coral Bells), Iris cristata (Dwarf crested Iris), Mertensia virginica (Virginia Bluebells), and more for a lovely, low maintenance garden bed with an extended bloom period. They prefer moist, well-draining soil but do have some drought tolerance once established.

Wild Bleeding Hearts attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; they are resistant to deer and rabbits, and are cold hardy to zone 3 (-40F).

Dicentra eximia are meaningful additions for gardeners who value both aesthetic beauty and ecological stewardship.

❤️RCN Staff Favorite - despite their delicate appearance, our staff have found these plants to be surprisingly durable in their own gardens.

Plant Nerd: Wild Bleeding Hearts have special fleshy structures called elaiosome which are attached to the seeds. Ants are highly attracted to the elaisosomes and love to feed them to their young, in the process the ants help to slowly spread the plants. Nature in action!