woodland wildflower

Fringed Bleeding Heart

Dicentra eximia

Also known as Turkey Corn, Fringed Bleedinghearts, Wild Bleedingheart

Native to Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia

Pennsylvania and West Virginia, south to North Carolina and Tennessee in mountains

In the garden

A woodland wildflower for part to full shade and evenly moist soil. Its white flowers peak in April. Hardy in USDA zones 4–8.

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Find your zone:

The Fringed Bleeding Heart's white flowers bloom March to August, peaking in April. This spring display draws bees and butterflies.

Fringed Bleeding Heart blooms white, pink & purpleFoliage

Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also Eastern Carpenter Bee, Brown-belted Bumble Bee, Two-spotted Bumble Bee +3 more
Bombus fervidus, Black-and-gold Bumble Bee, Bufflehead Mason Bee
Butterflies Eastern Tiger Swallowtail also Pipevine Swallowtail
Moths Elegant Grass-veneer
Also visited by
- Hummingbirds: Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Habitat: WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West VirginiaUnited States (6): MD, NC, PA, TN, VA, WV. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Pennsylvania and West Virginia, south to North Carolina and Tennessee in mountainsThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Light: Part shade to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: MoistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 4–8 · Canadian 4–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Moist, humus-rich, acid, rocky soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: Acid to neutralThe acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: Low (tolerates poor soil)How rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.

Spread: ~1 ft (0.4 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.