Description
This is the white old-fashioned Bleeding Heart—a description that is about as accurate as calling an ermine a white weasel. Blooms are exquisitely delicate, and the white gives an entirely different character to the plant. Like so many white varieties, it is slightly less vigorous than its pink cousin, which doesn’t diminish its garden value a bit. Every bit as charming as the pink form, D. s. ‘Alba’ forms large, bushy clumps of powdery-light green foliage comprised of cut or lobed leaves on fleshy stems. In late spring, chains of puffy, white, heart-shaped flowers dangle beneath the arching, leafless stems. These racemes make delightful additions to fresh bouquets, lasting about 2 weeks in a vase. In cooler climates with adequate moisture, the bloom time may be extended into early summer.