Dicentra

Fragile-looking spring flowers, which are easy to grow in cool part shade, with plenty of leaf mould. Long season of flowering, from spring to mid-summer. Colours mainly white and pink, but with much variation in shades, plus each flower often a bi-coloured. A rather unusual flower structure, with outer petals swollen, or spur-like and the inner petals clasped together. Variously called bleeding hearts, lady in the bath, locks & keys. Foliage often very attractive, with some very fern-like, or glaucous. Some Dicentra have now been moved to other genera, including Lamprocapnos, Dactylicapnos and Ichtyoselmis.