Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Dicentra formosa

Bleeding Heart

At a Glance: Hairless, soft stems and light green lacy leaves overtopped by small nodding clusters of pink heart-shaped flowers.

Height: Up to 1.5 feet (50 cm).
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Flowering stems are leafless and upright.
Leaves: All basal; numerous, long stalked, fern-like, pinnately divided into narrowly oblong ultimate segments, hairless.
Flowers: Pink to purplish heart shaped at base with 4 petals, outer 2 petals with short sac-like spur and spreading tip. 5-15 in drooping clusters atop stem.
Flowering Period: March, April, May, June.
Fruits: Pod-like capsules; several seeds, black, shiny, with small white oil-rich appendages that attract ants and in turn disperse seeds; shape: round; color: green.


Photo © Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
Prefers shady understory. full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
(data not available)

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Birds: The flowers attract hummingbirds. Insects: The leaves are eaten by Clodius Parnassians butterfly larvae. There is a oil-rich appendage on each seed that attracts foraging ants and in turn ensures adequate seed dispersal.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Landscape Uses: Spreads to form a delicate looking carpet of foliage.

Suggested References

Alden, P., D. Paulson. 1998. National Audubon Society, Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest. Chanticleer Press. Page 159.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 174.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 279.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 313.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.