Set it out - set it out from where? Pippi, this is a perennial fully hardy in your zone, in fact hardy to zones several lower. Unlike some of the dicentra, this one is likely not to go dormant (not dead, just resting) until fall if it has adequate moisture in summer. Woodland type settings - rich, loose soil that is evenly moist but also well-drained, partial shade.

perennials that come from deep in the ground.. require said ground to warm to the level of the root zone ... to start active3 growth .... a few days of warm air.. does not warm the soil to depth ... and proof of that.. is the fact that the plant has not shown yet ...

even in my z5 ... they usually pop up.. weeks after i have given up hope.. lol ...

being that February ended mere hours ago .. even in z7.. i suspect you are a bit early in worrying about whether it is still alive ...

mark the spot so you dont go planting annuals over the spot.. and give it another month or so ...

all that said.. maybe luxuriant is different than others... but how much different can it be...

be patient ... its only 3/1 ... your spring fever does not make plants pop out of the earth .... warm earth does ... and how many days ... at how much heat ... at the root zone ... for the plant to become active .. is most likely .. not known .... which is otherwise known as the vagaries of mother nature .... or at least.. that is what i call it ...

ken

Here in Illinois it's still February ~~ (grin)

lol ,... darn orthodontist called about tomorrows appmnt.. and the next thing you know.. it was march in adrian mi.. lol ..

ken

It is raining today, maybe I should set it out in the rain.....

Made me think this dicentra is not planted, but potted and somewhere other than outside in the elements. Pippi?

Yep, it's in a large pot, in a shady area that gets morning sun, shaded by a dogwood tree. Only shade we get in the back yard.

The dogwood shouldn't be leafed out to be deflecting any rain, and while plants in pots are exposed to more cold (roots) than those in the ground, I would think your dicentra, hardy to Z4 should have wintered fine. It's probably just too cold as Ken said for it to break winter dormancy yet. I'm just now seeing some dicentra shoots breaking through winter mulch in a very protected corner of my yard in my Z8.

Hmmmm my Dicentra is under about 2 feet of snow right now. I am feeling some zone envy right now. :(

Thanks for all the input! I'll put thoughts about that bleeding heart out of my mind until about May..

just to close the circle ...

the upside of a pot.. is that it can warm.. to depth.. faster ...

the downside of a pot is that it can warm faster ... lol ...

if it is a warm spring.. and the plant goes nutso with growth .. and then you have some odd freak cold snap .. the plant may not be able to handle the cold when in fast vegetative growth ...

so i learned in my z5 .. to discourage early/fast sprouting of potted material ... due to late frost or freezes ... it is better to discourage early breaking of dormancy ... since i have a last frost date around 6/1 ...

now i realize OP is z7 .... but i have to believe she is still way early ...

i would suggest moving it to the north side of a structure.. and removing the pot from all sun for at least a couple weeks ... but will defer to anyone who knows more about z7 ...

ken