About Dicentra eximia (Ker Gawl.) Torr.
Dicentra eximia (Ker Gawl.) Torr., commonly called fringed bleeding-heart, has finely divided gray-green leaves that grow from the base of the plant. Its pink flowers bloom in tight clusters at the top of leafless, fleshy stems that rise above the leaves, from mid-spring to autumn. Each flower has four petals connected at the base: the two outer petals are pouched at the base and bent back at the tips, while the inner petals are perpendicular to the outer petals and connected at the tip. The pistil is enclosed inside the inner petals, and two stamens grow on either side of the pistil. Two tiny, triangular pink sepals sit above the petals. Seeds develop inside a plump, pointed pod; they ripen to black while the pod remains green, and each seed has a white elaiosome that is sought after by ants. Dicentra formosa, commonly called Pacific bleeding-heart, is frequently confused with Dicentra eximia and often sold under this name. Pacific bleeding-heart has wider, more rounded flowers with shorter wings on its outer petals. Fringed bleeding-heart is native to the Appalachian Mountains, ranging from southwestern Pennsylvania south to Tennessee and North Carolina. It typically grows in rocky woodland at altitudes between 330 to 5,575 feet (100 to 1,700 m). It is classed as a pollinator plant that attracts hummingbirds and bees.
