It apparently was not cultivated in the United States until 1835, when William Kenrick began selling the plant in Boston. From there, seed made its way into cultivation in Europe. Menzies collected seed in 1792 in Nootka Sound, and gave it to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in 1795. formosa) was first noted by Europeans when the Scottish surgeon and naturalist Archibald Menzies encountered it on the Vancouver Expedition. The Pacific bleeding-heart ( Dicentra formosa subsp. eximia) – pure white, gray-green – particularly tolerant of hot-humid climates 'Bountiful') – dark pink flowers, bluish-green leaves There are several hybrid cultivars involving D. 'Quicksilver' – bluish-gray-green – resentful of hot, humid climates and sun.'Langtrees' (= 'Pearl Drops') – bluish-green leaves.Those marked agm have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit: Wild plants on the Iron Horse Regional Trail in the Bay Area, CaliforniaĬultivars Dicentra formosa 'Bacchanal'ĭicentra formosa is widely grown as a garden plant, and several cultivars have been developed. formosa is related to Lamprocapnos spectabilis, another popular plant called 'bleeding heart', which was formerly placed in the same genus. The fringed bleeding-heart has narrower flowers and longer, more curved outer petal tips. The Pacific bleeding-heart is frequently confused with the fringed bleeding-heart ( Dicentra eximia) and sold under that name.

The species contains isoquinoline, a toxic alkaloid known to be fatal to cattle. It frequently goes dormant for the summer after flowering, emerging and flowering again in autumn.

There are two tiny, pointed sepals behind the petals. The two inner petals are perpendicular to the outer petals and connected at the tip. The two outer petals form a pouch at the base and curve outwards at the tips. The four petals are attached at the base.

The flowers are pink, red, or white and heart-shaped and bloom in clusters of 5 to 15 at the top of leafless, fleshy stems above the leaves from mid-spring to autumn, with peak flowering in spring. Its leaves are three to four times divided and fern-like, growing from a brittle rhizome at the base of the plant. Pacific bleeding-heart is a perennial herbaceous plant. Dicentra formosa ( western, wild or Pacific bleeding heart) is a flowering plant with fern-like leaves and an inflorescence of drooping pink, purple, yellow or cream flowers native to the Pacific Coast of North America.

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