Bleeding heart flower

The blossoms are one-half inch petals, pink and rose pink with white tips. The hearts hang from the horizontal branches. 

The foliage will span 30 to 36 inches wide. The plant grow just about three to four feet tall and tend to blossom at the beginning of spring, continuing to bloom for about a month. The Bleeding Heart Flower is a flower for a shade garden, as sun will burn the leaves.The foliage will last quite a while if the plant is kept cool and moist. This has been a popular perennial garden plant for generations. It takes two years to mature 

There are two main varieties of bleeding heart flower, Dicentra spectabilis and D. eximia or D. Formosa. 
The common varieties of Dicentra spectabilis have beautiful pink blossoms that most of all remember from our childhoods, in our grandparents' gardens. 

There is also a species with interesting white flowers, but this seems to be a little bit less common. 

Then there is a version with gold leaves, but these are less popular as the plant is quite delicate - it is easily damaged and moreover, grows rather slowly in the first place. Obviously, it is not as favored by gardeners and nurseries. 

Dicentra spectabilis and D. eximia or D. Formosa, are hybrid varieties and one of the most popular versions of these has luxurious pinkish red flowers. There exist varieties with white flowers, of course, and then there are the more obscure hybrids with more exotic characteristics, such as blue tinged leaves. 

These varieties tend to grow just about a foot tall or about a foot and a half at the most. On the other hand, if they are properly cared for by a conscientious gardener, they do tend to blossom all through the summer. 

The plant is a native to Asia and North America. 
renukakkar 22.4.2011