Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Plant Identification => Plant Identification Questions and Answers => Topic started by: WimB on May 13, 2010, 06:33:46 PM

Title: Dicentra eximia ?
Post by: WimB on May 13, 2010, 06:33:46 PM

Today I received a piece of this Dicentra from a neighbour. I think it's D. eximia but she has been growing it for over 20 years on the same spot in an open garden in full sun in a sandy soil (dry and warm in summer) and it has grown to a very nice big full clump.
I was under the impression that D. eximia was a shade lover so now I'm doubting if it is D. eximia? Could anyone confirm this determination?

Title: Re: Dicentra eximia ?
Post by: goatshed on May 13, 2010, 09:37:08 PM

I can't give you a positive ID, but I have a similar one, and although it gets shade for part of the day, it's on very well drained gritty soil which does get hot and dry in summer. I've got it in several patches, and it does do better in the moister parts, with more foliage.

Title: Re: Dicentra eximia ?
Post by: maggiepie on May 14, 2010, 01:19:24 PM

Wim, I can't ID it either but I also have one similar growing in full sun. It seems to be spreading more than I would like.

Title: Re: Dicentra eximia ?
Post by: Afloden on May 17, 2010, 12:47:18 PM

I would say it is NOT D. eximia. The reflexed portion of the petals near the apex of the flower look less than 4-8 mm, the crests on the inner petals are not long enough, and the leaves don't look glaucous enough. In the wild, at least where I have seen it, it grows on shale cliffs and rock outcrops in little pockets of soil in shade to relatively sunny sites.


 Aaron Floden
 Knoxville, Tennessee

Title: Re: Dicentra eximia ?
Post by: WimB on May 17, 2010, 12:54:26 PM

Thanks, everyone.
I'll keep it under "Dicentra ???" It's probably an old cultivar of which I will not find the name... It seems to be an easy garden plant so that's nice.

Title: Re: Dicentra eximia ?
Post by: Lori S. on May 17, 2010, 03:13:19 PM

There is a photo in this book, http://www.timberpress.com/books/bleeding_hearts_corydalis_their_relatives/tebbitt/9780881928822, that compares the flowers of D. eximia and D. formosa.  From it, the one in question here would be D. formosa.


See this drawing from the same source also (scroll down to page 58):
http://books.google.ca/books?id=_OLFpOtEAE0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Bleeding+Hearts,+Corydalis,+and+Their+Relatives&source=bl&ots=4ZxDrSTZ_a&sig=O7KDiOLgfcHFNmGG47xyjT7htFI&hl=en&ei=4U_xS8WnK4fUsgOpsOzpDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false