While both plants belong to the poppy family (Papaveraceae) and the genus Dicentra, they are distinct species with different native ranges. The Common Bleeding Heart, scientifically named Dicentra spectabilis (now also classified by some as Lamprocapnos spectabilis), is native to Siberia, northern China, Korea, and Japan. In contrast, the Fringed Bleeding Heart, known as Dicentra eximia, is a wildflower native to the eastern United States, specifically the Appalachian Mountains and surrounding woodlands. This difference in origin is a fundamental botanical distinction.
The foliage of these two plants provides one of the most immediate and recognizable differences. Dicentra spectabilis (Common) features a traditional, upright, and mound-forming growth habit. Its leaves are large, compound, and deeply cut, with a soft green to slightly gray-green color. They are borne on arching, fleshy stems that emerge directly from the ground. Conversely, Dicentra eximia (Fringed) has foliage that is more finely textured and fern-like. Its leaves are glaucous, meaning they have a distinct blue-green or silver-green tint, and they are deeply dissected, giving them a delicate, lacy appearance. The foliage forms a basal mound from which the flower stalks arise.
Both plants produce the iconic heart-shaped flowers that give them their common name, but the specifics of the blooms differ. The flowers of the Common Bleeding Heart are larger, often over an inch long, and are vividly pink with a protruding white inner petal that looks like a drop. They are borne in a horizontal, arching raceme (a single central stalk) on tall, upright stems above the foliage. The Fringed Bleeding Heart produces smaller, more elongated hearts that are typically a lighter pink, though white cultivars exist. Crucially, the outer petals of D. eximia are often slightly reflexed and can have a subtly fringed or ruffled edge, which is the source of its common name. Its flowers are held on leafless, but much shorter, scapes that rise above the basal foliage mound.
A critical horticultural difference lies in their life cycle and persistence through the growing season. The Common Bleeding Heart is a spring ephemeral in many climates. It emerges vigorously in early spring, blooms spectacularly in mid to late spring, and then enters dormancy. By mid-summer, its foliage yellows and dies back completely, disappearing until the following spring. The Fringed Bleeding Heart, however, is a reliable perennial with a much longer season of interest. It begins blooming in mid-spring and, if deadheaded, will often continue to produce flowers intermittently throughout the summer and into early fall. Its attractive foliage remains present and viable until a hard frost.
Their native habitats inform their preferred cultivation. Dicentra spectabilis prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil and thrives in partial shade but can tolerate more sun in cooler climates. It benefits from a cool root run and appreciates consistent moisture. Dicentra eximia is exceptionally adaptable and tolerant of a wider range of conditions. As a woodland native, it prefers partial to full shade and moist, humus-rich soil, but it is notably more drought-tolerant and heat-resistant than its common cousin once established. It is also less particular about soil pH.
