Dicentra spectabilis 'Valentine' PP 22,739
Valentine Bleeding Heart
Item #: 9243
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter, Summer, Fall
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China, Korea
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
(aka: Lamprocapnos spectabilis, Dicentra 'Hordival') We'll never forget the euphoria we felt when we first saw the hot new Dicentra 'Valentine' flower in our garden. What we had feared might be a Photoshopped catalog image was every bit as good or better in person. Instead of long sprays of pink heart-shaped flowers in spring, the outer petals are brilliant red, with the contrasting white inner petal beneath...simply stunning! Even the very dark green foliage of the 2' tall x 2' wide clump has a hint of red as it emerges. Dicentra 'Valentine' was discovered in 2005 as a seedling in the production field of Phyllis and Lyle Sarrazin of British Columbia. This isn't just a minor change from typical Dicentra spectabilis...it's a major breakthrough! This calls for a re-write of those poetic lines...Dicentras are red, violets are blue. If you don't order soon, you'll be blue too.
Maintenance Info:
Dicentra spectabilis 'Valentine' goes summer dormant when the temperatures rise, and usually just fades away, without the need for any cutback. We recommend marking the planting location just in case you get the urge to go planting in summer and forget when your bleeding heart is located.
Growing Conditions:
Light shade and rich, evenly moist soil is the best conditions for all of the Dicentra spectabilis cultivars. Too much deep shade greatly reduces their flower power, while a couple of hours of early morning sun can actually cause them to produce more flower stalks.
Natural Impacts:
Dicentra spectabilis is a cleistogamous species, so it does not need a pollinator. The seed of 'Valentine', however, is coated with sugary substances known as eliasomes, which ensures their dispersal by ants.
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Other Attributes
Genus: Dicentra
Flower Color: Multicolor , Pink , Red
Bloom Time: Spring
Container Role: Fillers , Thrillers
Garden Themes: Cottage Garden Plants , Fairy Garden Plants , Gnome Gardens , Living Wall
Other: Cut Flower Plants , Deer Resistant Plants , Dry Shade Plants , Hummingbird Plants , Pollinator Plants , Plants from Japan , Plants that Attract Birds , Rabbit Resistant Plants , RHS Award of Merit Winners