Dicentra eximia (wild or fringed bleeding-heart, turkey-corn) is a flowering plant with fernlike leaves and oddly shaped flowers native to the Appalachian Mountains. It is similar to the Pacific bleeding-heart (Dicentra formosa), which grows on the Pacific Coast. Leaves are finely divided and gray-green, growing from the base of the plant. Flowers are pink and bloom in tight clusters at the top of leafless, fleshy stems above the leaves from mid-spring to autumn. The four petals are connected at the base. The two outer petals are pouched at the base and bent back at the tips. The inner petals are perpendicular to the outer petals and connected at the tip.
Be careful during the summer, especially if the weather is significantly hot. Eximia doesn’t respond well to dry soil. Never allow the soil to dry out.
Caring for bleeding hearts is as simple as planting them in the right site, watering them regularly and providing fertilizer. Slow release fertilizers for outdoor flowering plants are recommended. Fringed bleeding heart plants can be divided every 3-5 years in spring. Because of their toxicity when ingested, they are seldom bothered by deer or rabbits.
Poison Symptoms: Trembling, staggering, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, labored breathing if eaten in large quantities. Skin irritation after repeated contact with the cell sap is mild and short-lasting.
