Traditional Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) has the charm of hanging heart-shaped pink flowers, but it blooms once and is done for the season. Often the whole plant disappears until next year. The fringed-leaf variety has less defined flowers, but it will repeat throughout the summer and fall. The leaves themselves coordinate with the Astilbe and the ferns.
Dicentra eximia - Fringed Leaf Bleeding Heart (USDA Zones 3 - 9, 12" x 9", Repeat Blooms: Pink)
Alternatives
- Dicentra formosa - Western Bleeding Heart (USDA Zones 4 - 10, 24" x 24", Pink Blooms: May - June)
- Dicentra cucullaria - Dutchman's Breeches (USDA Zones 3 - 7, 12" x 18", White Blooms: April - May)