Is this dicentra?

13 years ago

Flower bud looks like a dicentra? I need to know whether to pull (invasive) or to let it spread. It came out of nowhere and in great numbers! Second pic is a blurry pic of its bud...strange shape!

Thanks for any input!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

User
Original Author
13 years ago
Its flower bud....blurry bud in the middle....please ignore red leaves...some kind of cherry...
lycopus
13 years ago
Looks like a white form of Lamprocapnos spectabilis. Not native but not invasive either.
Related Discussions
Bleeding Heart (Dicentra Spectibilis)
Q
Comments (11)
I have a couple of them that are doing well. They didn't bloom the first year. Last year they had 2-3 little blooms. But this year they really put on a show. They have gotten about 25" long stems and are covered stem to stern with blooms. I even went so far as to yank out a bunch of larkspur growing up around them so I could see them. I have them on the north side of the house in full shade and planted in very sandy soil amended with compost. In the same bed I have an oak leaf hydrangea that's over 5' tall, some ferns, a echinacea (have no idea how that got in this bed), hydangea mycrophyla, rock rose, and a few other things whose names escape me now. But it seems to like that shady, sandy spot. Cheryl
...See More
Gold Heart Dicentra--single specimen or grouping?
Q
Comments (2)
I grow 'White Gold' rather than 'Gold Heart' but I find it is a large enough plant that it works well as a stand-alone specimen. There is not enough room in my garden for a grouping of 3!! btw, here it is going on the second week of August and the foliage on White Gold looks as good as did when it first emerged in spring. That's not very ephemeral in my book :-)
...See More
When do common Dicentra with the feathery leaves emerge from the soil?
Q
Comments (5)
I kept it watered during the winter and in recent times. Nevertheless, I dug around with my finger today and found the corpse. A visit to a nearby nursery resulted in my taking home a new Dicentra which hopefully will thrive. I'm not even putting it out on the balcony tonight, as we are getting near-freezing temps tonight. I put all my tender potted annuals in a big Rubbermaid tub with a lid, or in my Suncast double walled garden shed on the balcony. The hostas I couldn't move got covered with bubble wrap clipped to the edges of their pots.
...See More
Dicentra seed collecting and growing?
Q
Comments (4)
When we bought this house 23 years ago, there was one existing dicentra that was quite large (3 foot diameter) and bloomed like crazy. Over the years, it has seeded itself here and there, and those seedling grew and seeded around also. Eventually, the mother plant has decreased in size, but is still healthy enough. I just let any seedlings grow wherever they choose. I did plant a white form many years ago which also got large, which I adore, but it was much more reluctant to produce seedlings. And the original of the white one has disappeared completely by now, sadly. I don't know why... Wish I had more of these! Long explanation (sorry) to say: I have never tried to grow dicentra deliberately in pots(?). I'd just scatter your ripe seed in a few garden locations and see what happens. Good luck either way!
...See More
Elly_NJ
13 years ago
Native.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bleeding heart
User
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank-you lycopus and elly! A bit confused...did Lamprocapnos used to be in the Dicentra genus? It is Lamprocapnos...flowers look like bleeding heart BUT it doesn't have the fern-like leaves of the true dicentra...I think that's what threw me :) ....and one more ? how did it get to me? Do squirrels/deer/birds eat the seeds? I am surrounded by woods...can't see my nearest neighbor, and this stuff didn't exactly choose the shadiest place to grow...but it looks ok...weird...I thought it needed to be in shade to grow!
lycopus
13 years ago
Yes, it used to be called Dicentra spectabilis. It's not the same plant as Dicentra formosa or D. eximia, which as you noticed have more finely dissected leaves. Not sure how it got there but it is naturalized in many parts of North America.

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Dicentra Eximia Brightens Shady Gardens

By Curtis Adams

This North American bleeding heart species blooms from spring to fall and welcomes bees and hummingbirds

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Dodecatheon Meadia

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Shooting star is a unique prairie ephemeral and will add a galaxy of interest to your eastern North American garden

Full Story

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Great Design Plant: Lungwort

By Le jardinet

Yes, the name is unfortunate. But the flowers and foliage are delightful, and this perennial is easy to grow and shunned by deer

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Cyrtomium Falcatum ‘Rochfordianum’

By Jay Sifford

Adding Japanese holly fern to your woodland garden is a great way to celebrate the holidays and create lasting memories

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Unsung Wildflowers That Thrive in Dry Shade

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Turn shady problem spots into garden idylls with with these prolific, easy-care bloomers

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES Top 12 Summer-Blooming Perennials for Deer-Resistant Drama

By Le jardinet

Can you have garden color, fragrance and exciting foliage with hungry deer afoot? These beauties say yes

Full Story

CALIFORNIA GARDENING California Gardener's April Checklist

By Bill Marken

Outsmart droughts with water-savvy plants and sustainable approaches that suit the landscape

Full Story

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Moss: Nature’s Carpet for the Garden

By Jay Sifford

Learn how to grow and use this ancient and mysterious natural wonder for delightful texture in the landscape

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Western Bleeding Heart

By Le jardinet

Delicate heart-shaped flowers belie a tough nature in this woodland spring perennial

Full Story

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Great Design Plant: Vine Maple

By Le jardinet

Exciting year-round color and adaptability make this highly ornamental native small tree a top choice for home gardens

Full Story

Is this dicentra?

Comments (5)

User
Original Author

lycopus

Related Discussions

Elly_NJ

User
Original Author

lycopus

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Is this dicentra?

Comments (5)

UserOriginal Author

lycopus

Related Discussions

Elly_NJ

UserOriginal Author

lycopus

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

User
Original Author

User
Original Author