Dicentra is a genus of eight species of herbaceous flowering perennial plants in the family Papaveraceae (order Ranunculales), known collectively as the bleeding-hearts. The genus is native primarily to North America, with a smaller contingent of species found in temperate East Asia.
Plants in the genus are characterized by distinctive heart-shaped flowers and finely divided, fern-like foliage. Each flower consists of two tiny sepals and four petals arranged in a bisymmetric pattern: the two outer petals are spurred or pouched at the base and curve outward or backward at the tip, while the two inner petals may bear a crest at their tips. All leaves arise in a basal rosette, and the flowers are carried on leafless stalks — a distinguishing feature from closely related genera such as Lamprocapnos and Ehrendorferia. Seeds are borne in elongated capsules and are equipped with elaiosomes, lipid-rich appendages that attract ants and aid in dispersal. All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested.
In their natural habitat, Dicentra species favour cool, temperate, wet forests with excellent drainage, often growing alongside ferns, hostas, mosses, and other shade-tolerant plants. They bloom in filtered light or shade but decline in poorly drained or intensely lit conditions.
The genus has undergone significant taxonomic revision. Several genera once included within Dicentra — among them Lamprocapnos, Dactylicapnos, Ichtyoselmis, and Ehrendorferia — have been segregated on morphological and molecular grounds. Most notably, the widely cultivated garden bleeding heart, long known as Dicentra spectabilis, is now placed in the monotypic genus Lamprocapnos as L. spectabilis. The remaining eight species of true Dicentra include Dutchman's breeches (D. cucullaria), squirrel corn (D. canadensis), and the western bleeding heart (D. formosa), among others.
Dicentra has also produced a range of ornamental hybrids and cultivars, particularly involving D. eximia, D. formosa, and D. peregrina; several of these, including 'Bacchanal', 'Luxuriant', and 'Stuart Boothman', have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Etymology
The genus name Dicentra derives from the Greek dis ("twice") and kentron ("spur"), a reference to the two prominent spurs or pouches formed by the outer petals of the flower.
Distribution
Dicentra species are primarily native to North America, occurring in the Pacific Northwest and parts of the eastern United States; several additional species are found in temperate Northeastern Asia. Species typically inhabit cool, moist, forested environments across these ranges.
Ecology
Dicentra grows almost universally in cool, temperate, wet forests with excellent drainage, frequently in the company of ferns, hostas, mosses, and other shade-tolerant plants. The genus requires filtered light or shade to bloom; it does not thrive in poorly drained soil or intense sunlight. Seeds are dispersed by ants attracted to their elaiosomes (lipid-rich seed appendages). All plant parts are toxic to humans and animals if ingested.
Cultivation
Several ornamental hybrids and cultivars have been developed, principally from crosses between D. eximia, D. formosa, and D. peregrina. Notable selections include 'Bacchanal' (deep red), 'Luxuriant', and 'Stuart Boothman', all of which have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Hybrids involving D. peregrina tend to be intolerant of hot, humid climates.
Taxonomy Notes
The circumscription of Dicentra has narrowed considerably through molecular and morphological study. The genera Lamprocapnos, Dactylicapnos, Ichtyoselmis, and Ehrendorferia — previously treated as subgenera of Dicentra — are now recognised as distinct. The familiar garden plant Dicentra spectabilis is now correctly placed as Lamprocapnos spectabilis. The current genus is restricted to eight species in which both flowers and leaves arise directly from the roots rather than from branching stems. GBIF places Dicentra in family Papaveraceae, order Ranunculales.
