Dicentra spectabilis 'Alba'

Bleeding Hearts have been one of the most popular garden plants since their introduction in 1810. Chains of puffy, heart-shaped white flowers held on arching stems are a sight to behold in spring. Light green, ferny foliage remains attractive throughout summer if kept moist.

This Siberian native is easy to grow in sun or shade in average soil, but will grow most lushly if given a cool, moist but well-drained spot. Plants will persist for an astonishingly long time in the garden as long as they are not disturbed or moved unnecessarily.

Distinctions: Winner of an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticulture Society.

Zones: 4 to 8

Family: Papaveraceae

Type: Perennial

Height: 24 to 30 in.

Spread: 18 to 24 in.

Exposure: Full sun, part-shade, bright full shade, light shade

Soil Conditions: average

Bloom Time: May to June

Bloom Color: Pure White

Native Range: eastern Asia

Image Credits:

• Image 1 (flowers) Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
• Image 2 (form) Meneerke bloem, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons