What's blooming in Vancouver - April 25 pt 3

Dicentra formosa or Pacific Bleeding Heart

A couple of excellent ground covers for the deep shade garden are Dicentra formosa and Oxalis sp.  I want to emphasize that the Oxalis is good in deep shade, because I believe the lack of light may slow its progress.  There can be a danger of the Oxalis being invasive.

There are about 500 varieties of Oxalis spp, and I can't remember which one is shown in the top photo.  I can say that it grows beautifully all year round, and tumbles gracefully over the paver driveway, softening the hard edge.  In this situation, the Oxalis is growing at the feet of Rhododendrons and Oemleria.

Dicentra, or Bleeding Hearts, are such unusual flowers.  The native D. formosa has feathery leaves and smaller flowers than the classic Dicentra.  Like the Oxalis, Dicentra spreads by rhizomes.  If the soil is loose, these will spread easily.