Dicentra cucullaria

Dicentra cucullaria, is a related to Bleeding Hearts, native to the forests of North America and Canada, and therefore accustomed to harsh winters. This adorable little perennial, rarely offered for sale, is nonetheless charming and full of character: it develops a lovely blue-grey-green foliage, finely cut, and is adorned in spring with small white flowers with yellow lips, which resemble bonnets. The plant, which persists in the soil during winter as a cluster of small bulbs, can over time form amazing carpets in cool and shady areas of the garden, in non-calcareous soil.

Dicentra cucullaria, also known as 'Dutchman's breeches' because of the shape of its flowers, is a herbaceous perennial plant of the Fumariaceae family, just like fumitories, corydalis or bleeding hearts. It is found in wooded and mountainous areas in eastern North America where it grows in rock crevices or at the base of tree trunks, sometimes forming beautiful colonies in humus-rich soils.

Dicentra cucullaria is a plant that deserves to be tried in wet regions or in the mountains, in undergrowth or in a damp and shady rock garden. It works well in naturalistic garden, planted in a bed which is damp and rich in humus. During its summer dormancy period, a slightly drier soil does not bother it. It can be associated with other perennials that are not afraid of competition from tree or shrub roots. For example, accompany it with Solomon's Seal, ferns and hardy Fuchsias, corydalis, creeping bugleweed, Japanese Anemones, Balkan Digitalis and other bleeding hearts. Plant enthusiasts can also try growing it in pots, with regular watering with soft water.

Most Bleeding Hearts go dormant at the end of spring, but this does not have any negative effects on plant growth.