Dicentra formosa Bleeding-heart

A very attractive perennial with a short rhizome, fern-like, three-pinnate leaves and pink, two-spurred flowers that droop gracefully. It is widely grown in gardens and may survive in shady locations such as hedges and woodland for a few years as a relic of cultivation where it may set seed occasionally. There have been a few casual reports in West Glamorgan but where it has been found it rarely persists. It is a native of western North America and is a characteristic species in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Dicentra eximia (Turkey-corm) is a similar spoecies with larger flowers which is also grown in gardens. The hybrid Dicentra formosa x Dicentra eximis is also cultivated and a possible source of confusion.

Neophyte