All season blooming dicentra?

[copperbeech]

I understand that there are some "bleeding hearts" (eg the Dicentra "Eximia") that have an extra long flowering period (unlike "Spectabilis"). I am interested in the specific "eximia" known as Red Fountain. I am wondering if anyone has had experience with this red flowered variety.

[Lis Allison]

The white-flowered form of D. eximia blooms on and off all summer. Unfortunately, my plants seem to keep petering out. What am I doing wrong? They grow from seeds easily enough, but I thought they were supposed to be perennials. I've not had any last longer than two summers.

[Lori S.]

I haven't had over-wintering success with any form of Dicentra eximia that I can recall but I find that Dicentra formosa has a very long bloom period and is completely hardy (I got my division from my mom in zone 2)... that's assuming I'm distinguishing them correctly.  This one, with the heart-shaped rather than elongated flower, is Dicentra formosa, isn't it?


Unfortunately, none of my photos show the flower dead-on... I'll have to look more carefully at the flowers this year.

[copperbeech]

I picked up a few of the red flowered "Red Fountain" this past weekend. I will give these a go this spring. Hopefully they are mostly ever-blooming this season.

[RickR]

Excellent purchase, Copperbeech.

Those are the reddest I've ever seen!