Bleeding heart

'Alba' has pure white heart-shaped flowers - these dangle enticingly from the arching flower stems of this delightful plant in late spring and early summer. It has been given an Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which is for plants of outstanding excellence. Although it grows in light shade and looks good growing in clumps among shrubs, it often does even better in a sunny border provided the soil stays sufficiently moist. Clumps of dicentra remain compact for many years and do not need dividing because they have brittle roots and don't like disturbance - instead, try taking root cuttings in spring.

Looks good with:

Euphorbia oblongata
Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'