Broken heart flower - planting and care at home, propagation and watering. Dicentra flower (broken heart): varieties, cultivation and propagation

Every year personal plots gardeners bloom with traditional combinations of gladioli, roses, marigolds and marigolds. However, sooner or later you want to enliven the usual picture of the garden with something unusual and beautiful. You can transform the area using amazing flower broken heart. The plant also has an official name - dicentra, but gardeners fell in love with its colloquial and symbolic name. Broken Heart begins to bloom in early spring and remains incredibly attractive until mid-summer. To see the plant in all its glory, you need to plant it correctly and carefully study the rules for caring for it. Quick Guide You will find information on growing dicentra in the article.

Japan is considered the historical homeland of the plant, and the inhabitants European countries we met him in 1816. Broken heart, double spur, Jeannette's heart - this wonderful flower, whose buds really look like miniature hearts, has many names. In the past, the plant could be found mainly in the palace gardens of the aristocracy. Over time, everyone began to grow it. Bright colors and the unusual appearance of the flower buds ensured its universal recognition. Today, thanks to the painstaking work of breeders, there are many varieties of broken heart, some of them with very “telling” names:

• dicentra exceptional;

• the dicentra is magnificent;

• the dicentra is excellent;

• dicentra graceful.

It is the type of broken heart that determines the future planting site. Thus, the majestic and tall dicentra magnificent undoubtedly becomes the first violin in all compositions; it always occupies a central place in the ensemble of garden flowers. Dicentral varieties of exceptional, graceful and excellent often frame flower beds and fill free place at the fence or along the curb. Pristine beauty A photograph cannot convey a broken heart flower, so we invite you to admire this wonderful creation of nature in the video:

Broken heart flower in garden landscaping

Even an amateur gardener can cope with growing a broken heart. Dicentra proved to be winter-hardy plant with good immunity. In addition, it is easy to propagate and does not require frequent replanting. All period active growth a broken heart remains highly decorative:

• with the arrival of spring, against the background of openwork leaves, dicentra narcissus, tulip, mouse hyacinth and other primroses will seem even more tender;
• blooming broken heart has no equal. It is unique in the original structure of its heart-shaped flowers;
• after flowering is completed, the pinnately dissected foliage serves as a decoration for the center until the first frost;
• Dicentra is beautiful both in a mono planting and surrounded by other flowers and shrubs in a flower bed, mixed border or edging.

Planting a broken heart flower

Broken heart is a low-maintenance crop. To avoid any problems with the plant in the future, look for it in the fall appropriate place and cultivate the land in this area. Dicentra is not embarrassed by the bright sunlight, but it will also feel good on islands shaded by tree crowns, so break new flower garden it won't be difficult. Let us only note that in the shade a broken heart will bloom a little later than in the sun.

Light and open place defines appearance plants - it does not have too large branches and not very voluminous foliage. In shady places, the branches of the broken heart are more developed, the flowers are distinguished by bold, rich shades and large sizes.

How to prepare the soil for a broken heart flower

The area where the broken heart will show off needs to be dug well in the fall to a depth of 40 cm. Heavy and loamy soil is “lightened” by adding river sand or peat - this is the only way to prevent the development of rot on the roots of the dicentra. The soil must be well-drained - stagnation of moisture will immediately destroy the roots of the “heart-shaped” beauty.

In order for the flower to grow quickly in the spring, the soil is fed in advance. To do this, add organic fertilizer to the soil - humus (about 3 kg per 1 sq. m.) and mineral fertilizer - any universal composition for garden flowers (15 - 20 g per 10 liters of water). When young plant settles into a new place, it is fed 3-4 more times - this will prepare a broken heart for wild flowering.

How to plant a broken heart flower

By spring, the soil will be completely ready for planting:

• dig small holes in the selected area at a distance of 35 cm from each other;
• Place 2–4 parts of the plant into each hole;
• fill the holes with soil and lightly compact the soil;
• Water the newly planted bushes with water previously heated in the sun.

In a well-chosen fertile area, the broken heart flower grows quickly, striking abundant flowering, and does not need a transplant for the next 5 years.

Caring for a broken heart flower after planting

Here are some recommendations for caring for a young plant after planting. The soil around the broken heart flower should not be clogged, otherwise its roots will not receive life-giving oxygen and moisture. Therefore, after watering or rain, the soil in the area with this plant should always be loosened. They do this carefully and slowly - dicentra has a very delicate root system. It is best to weed and loosen the soil with a small fork with widely spaced tines - then the roots of a broken heart will remain safe and sound. In spring, after loosening the soil, mulch it with humus to retain moisture.

Despite the fact that a broken heart is not a capricious flower at all, caring for it ( good lighting, watering and loosening, weeding) requires regularity. The gardener should also consider the following practical recommendations:

1. In the second year after planting, the plant’s root system develops so much that some of the roots are exposed. They must be hidden by adding required amount soil for the bush.
2. To ensure that the buds of a broken heart turn into breathtaking flowers, with the arrival of spring, the area with the plant is enriched with superphosphate. During the period of active flowering, 3–4 more such feedings will be needed.
3. To successfully and quickly lay new buds, the broken heart flower needs to be fertilized with nitrogen-containing mixtures. They can also be fed to the plant after flowering has finished.
4. In case of sudden cold weather and winter, the plant needs to be protected from nonwoven material. Sawdust or peat are absolutely not suitable for insulation - under such insulation a broken heart can suffocate. In the southern regions, the plant is not covered for the winter.
5. You need to get rid of wilted brushes during flowering in a timely manner. This will help the plant bloom longer. To “program” some types of broken heart (for example, magnificent dicentra) to bloom again, the flower stalks are cut at a distance of 10 cm from the ground.
6. In autumn, before the onset of cold weather, the above-ground part of the flower is completely cut off, leaving only a stump about 5 cm high.
7. A broken heart responds with gratitude to feeding. In spring, the area with the plant is mulched with manure or humus with the addition of a superphosphate mixture. During the period when the buds are laid, as well as when flowering begins, the broken heart is fertilized a second time. With the arrival of autumn, after the dicentra has finished flowering, it is watered with mullein infusion in a ratio of 1 to 10.

Applying these simple tips in practice, you'll enjoy the spectacular flowering of a broken heart all summer long.

Broken heart flower propagation

Garden perennial propagates vegetatively: using cuttings or by dividing the bush. The seed method is not practiced - it is a difficult and expensive task. And even if you do wait for the seeds to sprout, a broken heart grown using this method will only be able to bloom after 3 years. Seeds are sown shortly before the arrival of winter and protected with a covering of film or lutrasil.

The most convenient way to propagate the broken heart flower is by dividing the bush. In addition, this is very practical, because actively developing specimens need to be subjected to this procedure every 3 to 4 years to stimulate their growth. The bush is dug out very carefully: the fragile root system dicenters are easy to damage. Before starting to divide the roots, they are slightly withered. On each division, 3-4 shoots are left, which in the future will allow it to turn into a large and lush bush.

If you decide to propagate a broken heart by cuttings, then the cuttings are collected in the spring. To do this, strong and healthy shoots about 10–15 cm high are cut with a sharp blade at the very base. Then planting material provide greenhouse or greenhouse conditions for rooting. Young specimens of dicentra are planted in the garden the next year.

Note! A broken heart is a poisonous plant. All parts of a person are dangerous. Contact of dicentra juice with the skin leads to severe irritation and burns. Don't forget to wear gloves before working with the flower.

Rules for getting rid of a broken heart at home

A beautiful plant can become an unusual gift for a loved one - a broken heart lends itself well to forcing out at home.

In the fall, dig up the plant, transplant the bush into a pot and bring it into a cool room. A broken heart should be left there until January: the flower does not need special care, it only needs to be watered occasionally. In January, move the pot with the bush to a warmer room (about +8 ◦ C) and start watering more often and more abundantly. This trick will force the resting plant to start growing and throw out its sprouts. After the sprouts appear, the broken heart is placed in a well-lit and warm place with a temperature of up to +20 ◦ C, and is provided with regular and abundant watering. Every 2 weeks or a little more often, the plant is fertilized with complex compounds to stimulate the flowering of indoor plants. Broken Heart will produce buds in February and will bloom until April. At the end of spring, the “house” plant can be planted in the garden.

Pests and diseases of the broken heart flower

This cute flowering plant only seems fragile and vulnerable - in fact, it has a stable immunity to all kinds of diseases. But if you take away a broken heart favorable conditions for growth and flowering, it will, of course, weaken and may get sick. Let's look at the main troubles that a gardener growing a broken heart may encounter:

1. Ring spot affects the plant more often than other diseases. Traces of the viral disease are found mainly on adult specimens of dicentra: light spotted and ring “patterns” are clearly visible on the leaf blades of the flower. Unfortunately, effective measures There is no way to combat this problem, so it is better to completely destroy the diseased bush in order to protect the plants in the neighborhood from the virus.
2. The tobacco mosaic virus also really “loves” to annoy beautifully flowering plant. Signs of the disease are as follows: the surface of the leaves changes green to a marbled color, and the edges leaf blades severely deformed. As with ring spot, it is best to get rid of diseased specimens immediately.
3. If a broken heart is affected by mycoplasma, this will be indicated by the green color of its flowers. With total defeat, flowers do not form at all. In this case, the peduncles are greatly deformed, the color of the foliage becomes duller and lighter, and growth slows down significantly.

To protect the broken heart flower from diseases, you need to protect the main decoration of the garden from insects that carry these diseases. Great danger represent cicadas and aphids. Insecticides are used against them (for example, Aktara, Fitoverm, Biotlin).

Another more than serious problem in the fight for the health of the dicentra are mole crickets. Voracious insects destroy the roots of the plant, so heavily damaged bushes cannot be restored - they quickly wither and die.

The presence of mole crickets in the soil can be assumed by small burrows in the beds - insects lay eggs there. The larvae make new tunnels in the ground and quickly spread throughout the entire area, damaging seeds and underground parts of plants. To combat mole crickets, you need to act comprehensively:

• use baited traps in suspected mole cricket accumulation areas;
• sprinkle the area with insect holes with crushed eggshells;
• fence the perimeter of the site with phytoncidal plants - their smell is unbearable for the mole cricket. Marigolds, parsley, garlic, chrysanthemums, marigolds are suitable;
• use infrasonic and ultrasonic repellers(Chiston – 3, Ecosniper);
• treat the soil with chemicals (Medvetox, Boverin, Grizzly, etc.)

Broken heart flower. Video

Dicentra broken heart - the plant has this name because of the interesting and unique shape of its flowers in the shape of a heart broken in half. Dicentra differs from other flowers in its original shape. Dicentra is easy to care for; it can grow in partial shade. The plant grows from 30 centimeters to 1 meter in height.

The name of the Dicentra flower is rarely used; it is better known as the “broken heart flower.” In France, Dicentra is called “Jeannette’s heart”, in Germany – “heart flower”, in England – “lady in the bath”.

Dicentra's homeland is Japan. In 1816, the flower was brought to Europe. Thanks to its original form, Dicentra began to decorate the gardens of aristocrats. Gardeners are very fond of this flower and gave unusual names to the varieties: elegant, excellent, beautiful, exceptional and magnificent.

In the fall, you need to choose a place for Dicentra and cultivate the soil. Choosing a place should not be a problem for you, because the heart flower grows well in both sunny and shaded places. Only in the shade, the buds open a little later.

Selected location required dig well approximately to a depth of 40 cm. Then this soil needs to be fertilized with humus (take 3 kg of fertilizer per m2). To make a mineral supplement, take a standard fertilizer that is suitable garden flowers(dissolve 10–15 grams of it per 10 liters of water). When Dicentra grows up, it is necessary to additionally feed 3-4 times. As a result, the flower will grow faster and bloom profusely.

The soil for Dicentra should be light, perfectly permeable to moisture and air. However, if you come across heavy soil, it should be diluted with peat or river sand so that there is no rotting of the roots.

Reproduction and transplantation of a broken heart

Dicentra can be propagated in three ways:

1. dividing the rhizome;
2. aboveground sprouts;
3. using seeds.

Using seeds is not best option, some species of Dicentra do not form them, and some - produce few seeds. Growing them is also difficult.

The best way to propagate a flower is to divide the rhizome. Best period for this it is the end of summer. Carefully dig up the roots, then pull them out of the ground and dry them. When they are in a slightly flaccid state, the roots are elastic and do not break.

Then the rhizome of the flower is divided into pieces, so that each has 3-4 buds for the formation of shoots. These parts are planted in the ground in a place that is not very lit, and watered very well with warm water. As a protective action, the sections are sprinkled with ash. When these parts of the root take root, they can be transplanted into a flower bed.

Dicentra can be transplanted in early spring. Only this should be done when the shoots have not yet begun to grow or have just begun. Division can be done once every 5-6 years, no less often, because then the aging process occurs in the roots and they die.

The landing of a broken heart occurs as follows:

• Make holes in the flowerbed, with a distance of 30–40 cm from each other.
• Place 3-4 parts of the root into the hole, cover them with soil, and tamp them down a little.
• Pour warm water over it.

In spring, the flower is also propagated by ground cuttings. Carefully rake the soil at the base of the Dicentra and cut off small parts of it from the “heel” using a sharp knife. Then they place the cuttings in a stimulator for rapid emergence of roots and wait about a day. Next, these parts are planted in soil that has been well watered before. At the end, carefully cover with greenhouse film. About a month later, roots will form. Sprouts can be planted in the flowerbed after a year.

Caring for Dicentra

Caring for a heart flower consists of: proper lighting, timely watering, loosening the soil and weeding.

Dicentra takes root well in sunlit and shaded areas. But the flowering period and splendor of Dicentra depends on the degree of lighting. In a sunny area buds open early, but their flowering passes quickly, and the flowers are not particularly lush. If Dicentra grows in the shade, then it blooms a little later, and the flowers are very bright and large. The color does not fade until mid-summer.

Tips from experts on proper flower care:

1. To achieve a rich and bright color of Dicentra, in the spring, feed the roots with superphosphate, and then apply 3-4 additional feedings.
2. To help new buds form better, fertilize with nitrogen after the flower stops blooming.
3. In winter, it is better to cover the plant using non-woven material.
4. Remove faded brushes in a timely manner so that others bloom longer.
5. In autumn, you need to remove the above-ground part, leaving only stumps that do not exceed 5 cm.
6. Pay attention Special attention ground. If there is waterlogging, the roots of the flower will rot. That's why you need to choose a raised place for flower beds. If Dicentra is planted and this place is constantly flooded, then you need to artificially raise the ground and make a drainage layer and grooves in the flower garden so that the water can flow out. In hot weather, you need to water the flower more often so that the roots do not dry out. To retain moisture, use peat or humus. It is placed in a large layer around the base of the Dicentra.

Dicentra varieties

Dicentra is great. This flower variety is the largest and most magnificent. This is a bush that has openwork foliage and is completely covered with flowers. Very often these flowers are bright pink, less often white. Dicentra with white flowers is characterized by lower growth.

Varieties of Dicentra

Dicentra is beautiful. This is a small shrub, the height of which does not exceed 30 cm. The flowers are miniature, ranging in color from soft white to bright purple. They begin to bloom with the arrival of spring and end at the end of summer. In some varieties you can find silver colored leaves.

Dicentra is exceptional. This variety has a miniature growth that does not exceed 25 cm. The inflorescences are pink, white or purple. It blooms for about 2 months, and if the summer is not hot, then the whole season. The leaves are bluish-gray in color and resemble a fern in shape. It tolerates the winter season easily.

Dicentra curly. The variety arose as a result of selective selection. The birthplace of the flower is the Himalayas. This unique variety, annual. Blooms with yellow buds. During the growth process, the vine reaches two meters.

Dicentra vagabond. This variety It is small in size, no more than 15–20 cm, and it also has short roots. It does not bloom profusely, but the inflorescences are large. They can be white, pink or red. This variety of Dicentra blooms in July and blooms until September. Copes well with cold weather.

Dicentra is not only very beautiful flower, But versatile and very practical. The flower looks great when planted alone and is also suitable for planting with other plants. Large varieties are planted to create multi-level flower beds near the house, and low ones are great for decorating lawns,

We are used to seeing the original heart-shaped flowers of this plant in flower beds, but it is also perfect for forcing indoors. If planting and caring for a broken heart is carried out correctly, already in February the windowsill will be decorated with delicate dicentra flowers.

Types and varieties of plants

The flower's homeland is North America and the mountainous regions of Asia. It appeared in Europe in the 18th century. It was described by the famous botanist Carl Linnaeus, and very quickly captivated flower growers with the decorativeness of its carved leaves and the originality of its flowers. Many wild species, about 20 of them, have given rise to beautiful garden varieties. Most often in culture you can find dicentra magnificent, beautiful, wandering, excellent and climbing.

Dicentra is great.

It fully justifies its name with powerful bushes and abundant flowering, which occurs in late spring and early summer. It fills the gap between the flowering of spring bulbs and bright summer flowers. If you trim off faded inflorescences, the plant may re-bloom in late summer - early autumn. The height of the bush of this species can reach 1.5 m, the flowers are large: pink, red and white.

The most interesting varieties:

• Valentine – has purple flowers decorated with a white center;
• Pearl Drops, which means pearl drops. Variety blooms delicate flowers creamy pink hue, foliage has a beautiful bluish tint;
• Alba is a low bush with snow-white flowers;
• Gold Heart and White Gold. What these varieties have in common is the yellow color of the leaves, which is brighter in the Golden Heart; it blooms with bright pink flowers, the second variety has white flowers.

Dicentra is beautiful.

The bushes are more compact than those of Dicentra superb, and the flowers have an original elongated shape. This species blooms for a longer period – June-September.

The most decorative varieties:

• Spring Magic with unusual silvery hairy leaves and white flowers.
• Bacchanal is a real bacchanalia of crimson flowers and gray-green leaves.
• King of Hearts with attractive and bright colors purple in color and beautiful carved green leaves with a bluish tint.

Dicentra vagrant or foreign.

Grows wild in the foothills of Altai and Tibet. It spreads along the ground and resembles a vine. In the Russian climate it cannot survive the winter, so it is grown as an annual. But in the room there is a chance to preserve the plant until the next season. The most famous varieties: Rudolph with pastel pink flowers, Hien with purple-cherry flowers with a white edge and Alba with white inflorescences.

There is a plant called Dicentra, or Broken Heart, the flower comes from the Fumariaceae. It was brought to Europe from Asia (Japan, China) in the 19th century. The French, lovers of romantic legends, call it “Jeanette’s flower,” telling the story of the beautiful Jeanette and her misadventures. The girl Jeanette went into the forest to get the gifts of nature, but soon got lost and began to call for help. But only the howl of wolves was her answer. It was getting dark. Suddenly, a handsome young man on a bay stallion appeared from behind the trees, rode up to the upset girl and calmed her down. Then he put her behind him and took her to her home village. She was so frightened and stunned that she did not even have time to ask the name of the savior. The girl in love, remembering the stranger's farewell kiss, waited and grieved for a whole year, and one morning outside the window the ringing of the bells of a wedding trio of white horses was heard. Running out onto the porch, she saw that it was her savior riding with his young wife. Her heart could not stand it, she fell to the ground and turned into a flower of unearthly beauty. And people called it “Jeanette’s flower.”

Dicentra is an unpretentious plant and is valued in decorative floriculture for its original flower shape.

Russians call this flower for its appearance: a small double heart with a crack. The name “dicentra” is translated from Greek as (“dis” and “kentron” - “twice” and “spur”).

Plant varieties

Exist the following types and dicentra varieties:

Dicentra canadensis begins to bloom in mid-spring.

1. Dicentra hybrid (exceptional) - a low plant, silver-colored leaves, narrow, flowers absorbed different colors and inclusions.
2. Dicentra is beautiful - a low plant with green leaves, which came to us from North America. Loves shady areas, suitable for planting along paths and near borders.
3. Dicentra canadensis - small plants (30 cm tall) with white flowers. Canadians call it “squirrel corn.”
4. Dicentra exceptional is similar to Dicentra beautiful. Blooms pink flowers twice: in May and September. It grows incredibly quickly and, if there is no care and control, can fill large areas in a short time.
5. Dicentra climbing. The Himalayas boast of this type of dicentra with yellow flowers, growing freely on the slopes of these mountains.
6. Dicentra bicuculla is similar to the Canadian one. The poison obtained from this plant is used in medicine to make anticonvulsants.

"Broken Heart" in the Garden

Dicentra is a stately perennial plant up to 1 m high. The leaves of the plant are lacy, greenish, shimmering or silvered. They themselves are quite interesting and may well decorate a flower garden after flowering has finished.

Still, this plant captivates with its unique flowers: small flat hearts gathered together, and a white “tongue” peeks out from the open lower part. The slightest breath of wind causes the hearts to sway a little. The color of the dicentra is white or pink. The flowering period is from May to September, the peak of flowering is June. In early autumn the leaves turn yellow and die until spring.

Rules for growing the “Janetta flower”

A mandatory technique when growing dicentra is feeding with superphosphate.

Dicentra magnificent requires moist, loose soil fertilized with humus. Grateful for your care, the flower will grow and bloom wildly. What the magnificent dicentra does not like is stagnation of water - its rhizomes quickly begin to rot. At the same time, it does not tolerate drought; if it suffers from lack of water, early death should be expected. As soon as the first shoots are visible from the ground in early spring, the soil around the “broken heart” flower should be carefully loosened several centimeters deep and mulched. Care must be taken to ensure that periodically recurring night frosts do not adversely affect sensitive plants.

To prevent it from freezing, the dicentra is covered with a cloth or spruce paws. A denser cover may harm it, because... The plant, in principle, tolerates winter well in our latitudes. After wilting, the leaves of the plant are removed and small sections are left. In general, caring for the dicentra plant is not difficult. Grows well in both shade and sun. Planting it in shaded areas will help prolong its flowering, but in this case it will bloom later. Another way to prolong flowering is to remove dead flowers. Do not forget to add soil under the plants every year, as the roots growing upward are exposed and the plant can get sick and die.

One of the conditions for healthy flowering is the presence of sufficient feeding with superphosphate. To stimulate flowering next year watered with organic (up to 5 kg/sq.m.) and nitrogen-containing fertilizers, because the dicentra likes to “refuel” tightly before the cold weather.

Another trick that many people use experienced gardeners, - removal of flower stalks after flowering. And you can wait for flowering again. Dicentra can be planted in a group with primrose and peonies, lungwort and daffodils.

You can use several methods of propagation and planting: roots, sprouts and seeds.

The option of propagation by seeds is not very good, since in our latitudes most often they either do not ripen or remain undeveloped and weak. If you still manage to collect seeds, they should be sown immediately.

Dicentra propagates by dividing the rhizome; this is usually done in May, when the first shoots appear.

A good solution is to plant and propagate by cuttings or roots. It is better to do this at least every 4-5 years.

Ground cuttings must be cut in June-July. To get fresh cuttings, you need to carefully remove the top soil layer at the base of the bush and cut off the cutting with a sharp tool. The cuttings take root slowly (about a month). To stimulate growth, you need to hold them in a special solution and then plant them in the ground, not forgetting to cover them. Grown flowers are identified by permanent place"residency" next year.

If you propagate a flower by roots, you need to dig them out very carefully from the soil and free them from the ground. Give the roots a few hours to “rest” so that they wilt and are not so brittle. Each root should have 2-4 “eyes” so that the bush grows lush. It is necessary to place the roots in a hole buried 40 cm and flavored with humus (mullein). You need to be careful with the secreted juice of the dicentra, it is better to work with gloves, because the alkaloids contained in the rhizome can cause severe irritation of the skin, mucous membranes of the eyes and even the stomach!

Adding straw or reeds can help you get fluffy soil. You need to make an oblong hole, put grass there, press it down, and sprinkle it on top of the soil.

You should deal with excess water in the flowerbed immediately by digging ditches and filling in the drainage.

It is necessary to pay attention to the degree of dryness of the soil: during drought, water the plant generously, and the presence of a sufficient amount of mulch will prevent overheating.

When looking for a place for a dicentra, you can pay attention to its location near bushes, borders, and along paths.

You can try planting dicentra in splendid isolation in a pot at home or in a greenhouse - it looks more than impressive. In autumn, the most fleshy plants are dug up after the foliage has disappeared and planted in huge pots with soil from the garden, first mixed with sand from the river and leaves. Place in a cold room until mid-winter and water rarely. Then the room is changed to a warmer one and the amount of watering is increased. When the plant begins to grow, move it closer to light and warmth. The flowers will awaken in February and will delight you until April. It is necessary to remember about feeding. You can use fertilizer for indoor plants. As soon as the dicentra plant fades, it is taken away basement. In the spring it is planted in a garden bed, and in the fall you can plant it again at home.

Growing the broken heart flower is worth all the trouble. The romantic appearance, tenderness and unpretentiousness can please even the most demanding professional gardener. Ease of planting and care will help you fall in love with it at first sight. And the “company” nature of the flower will eliminate the need to search for a separate place where it will be planted and further grow.

Perhaps everyone has seen this plant - spreading stems, decorated with carved leaves and bright flowers of an unusual shape, as if divided into two halves. This dicenter is a perennial popular with gardeners around the world. Moreover, dicentra in Russia can be found not only in parks and front gardens: many species grow in wildlife. But the plant received its main distribution in North America and Asia.

Your journey from the mountainous regions eastern Asia The luxurious dicentra (lat. Dicentra) began in Europe in the middle of the 18th century. And the first person to describe and classify dicentra was the famous Swedish explorer C. Linnaeus. The unpretentious perennial was classified as a member of the poppy family (lat. Papaveraceae).

The appearance of the dicentra is impressive: gracefully curved, racemose peduncles are covered with white, pink, purple or yellow flowers, shaped like a heart, with white droplet petals hidden in the middle. Due to the special structure of flowers graceful plant appears in many European romantic legends. There is a belief that these flowers bring good luck in love and marriage. For example, in Germany they believe that a girl who sees a dicentra and picks a branch of it will definitely soon meet her groom.

In each country, the flower was called differently: “broken heart” in Russia, “Jeannette’s heart” in France, “Our Lady’s slipper” in Poland, “lady’s medallion” in England. The official scientific name of this plant is not so lyrical: literally translated from Latin, the word “dicentra” means “two-spurred.” The fact is that the shape of the inner petals of the dicentra, on which nectar accumulates, really does look a little like cavalry spurs.

The perennial is given additional decorativeness by its bluish-green, lace-like leaves and herbaceous spreading shoots.

Types and popular varieties of dicentra

There are about ten, according to some sources, and twenty, according to others, types of dicentra, of which approximately half are cultivated in gardens. Most often found in flower beds are the magnificent, beautiful and wandering dicentra.

Dicentra is magnificent(lat. Dicentra spectabilis) is considered the most capricious, although the most common variety. The description of the plant is consistent with its name: a powerful, tall (up to 1.5 m) and branched bush, strewn with large, bright flowers. The peak growing season for Dicentra splendor occurs in May-June. The most popular varieties include:

• "Gold Heart" main feature This variety has unusual bright yellow leaves. Its advantage is high frost resistance and a very long flowering period.
• "Alba" (Alba). Low bushes with white “hearts”.
• "Valentine" (Valentine). Elegant purple flowers with a white center against a background of openwork greenery.
• "Pearl Drops" Bluish-green leaves and delicate pendulous inflorescences of a creamy pink hue.
• "White Gold" (White-gold). An unusual variety with white inflorescences and yellowish-green foliage.
• "Amore Pink" (Pink Love). Compact, abundantly flowering perennial with soft pink flowers of an original shape.

If you are interested in low, graceful crops, be sure to pay attention to beautiful to the center(lat. Dicentra formosa). This species is distinguished by relatively small flowers elongated shape and a neat habit. Most gardeners prefer the following varieties:

• "Spring Magic" The carved leaves of this variety will be pubescent and have an unusual silvery color.
• "Aurora" (Aurora). Variety with snow-white flowers.
• "King of Hearts" A medium-sized bush with bluish-green foliage and bright purple flowers.
• "Bacchanal" (Bacchanalia). Popular variety with gray-green leaves and short racemose inflorescences of a crimson hue.

One of the most unusual species- this is certainly dicentra vagabond(lat. Dicentra peregrina), covering the foothills of Altai and Tibet. This creeping, vine-like plant will delight you with a very long flowering period. But, unfortunately, in our latitudes it lives no more than one year. Some of the most common varieties of dicentra vagrant are:

• "Rudolph" (Rudolph). A low growing bush topped with pastel pink flowers.
• "Hien" Its main difference is its magnificent purple-cherry flowers with a narrow white border.
• "Alba" (Alba). Bright white inflorescences against a background of rich green foliage.

More rare, but gradually gaining popularity species are:

• Dicentra cuccularia (lat. Dicentra cuccularia). It has white, pink or deep yellow flowers with long spurs. The name of the species comes from a rhizome consisting of small nodules.
• Dicentra chrysanta (lat. Dicentra chrysanta). Tall (up to 1.3 m) heat-loving variety with bright yellow flowers. It is whimsical and therefore rarely found in culture.
• Dicentra exceptional, also called excellent (Latin: Dicentra eximia). A beautiful medium-sized plant with fleshy stems and bright pink flowers.
• Canadian dicentra (lat. Dicentra canadensis). It resembles the hooded plant, but stands out for its milky-greenish color of flowers. One of the earliest flowering species.

Some time ago, dicentra almost disappeared from front gardens: the bright perennial went out of fashion and was simply forgotten about. However, recently, landscape designers, and after them the gardeners, remembered spectacular plant. Now the “broken heart” grows in many gardens and decorates a huge number of flower beds.

Dicentra gets along well with any plants. Its flowering period takes about one month, so when creating a mixborder, it is more advisable to plant dicentra along with calendula or mallow, which will bloom until November. Very often, the perennial is used to decorate shady compositions, in which its neighbors are usually various ferns, telekia or hostas.

Compositions from different varieties dicentras, as well as borders, where it is combined with forget-me-nots or primrose. Such flower beds usually decorate slopes covered with crushed stone or brick along paths.

In the wild, the plant covers mountain plateaus and mounds, so low varieties of the perennial look authentic in rock gardens.

In general, tall species and varieties are best used as a bright spring accent in a flower bed, and medium-sized and low ones are best used as filling in empty areas.

Growing and caring for dicentra

Among gardeners, Dicentra is considered one of the most unpretentious perennials. In central Russia, it is enough to plant it in the ground, and then it will grow on its own and delight the eye with its flowers. However, if you want to create optimal conditions for your green pet, you should listen to the recommendations of experienced botanists.

Location, soil

Dicentra prefers partial shade; it is best to place it under spreading tree crowns. In bright sun it will bloom faster, but the growing season itself will be very short, and the greenery will not be lush enough. For healthy growth, dicentra requires slightly acidic, loose and. But heavy, clayey soil, in which moisture usually stagnates, is destructive for dicentra: due to dampness, the perennial will get sick and wither. When choosing a place for planting, you should also avoid areas with close groundwater.

[!] In wet gardens, where there is no way to drain the soil, dicentra is usually planted on a small hill.

With proper and regular feeding, a perennial can grow well in one place without frequent replanting. Usually the dicentra is transferred to new site no more than once every 5-6 years.

Reproduction

Dicentra is propagated in three ways:

• division of the rhizome,
• cuttings,
• sowing seeds.

Rhizome division. This method is the most popular, since dividing the bush approximately once every 2-3 years is necessary for the plant itself as preventative measure against rotting. It is not recommended to carry out this procedure less frequently, otherwise the roots will become too thick and woody, and it will be very difficult to cut them.

You need to dig up the bush, carefully clean the roots from the soil and let them dry a little. With a sharp knife The rhizome is divided into parts so that each of them has several growth points. The sections are sprinkled with ash to protect the dicentra from further injury. Usually 2-3 divisions are placed in planting holes, so the plant will look more lush.

Cuttings. The simplest and easiest method of propagation. It is enough to simply cut several young root shoots at least 15 cm long and root them in soft soil.

Growing from seeds. This is a very unpopular method in our latitudes, since dicentra seeds have low germination, which is obviously due to the lack of pollinators. Usually only professional breeders resort to it.

[!] Please note that the roots of the perennial contain toxic alkaloids, so be sure to wear gloves when performing any manipulations associated with planting the plant.

Landing: timing and technology

Preparation of the land for the dicentra begins several weeks before the landing. If the soil in your garden is not suitable for this plant, prepare the ideal soil for dicentra yourself by mixing garden soil with leaf humus in equal proportions, and then adding a little sand.

The area is carefully dug up, after which complex mineral fertilizer is added to the soil at the rate of 20 g per 1 m₂ and humus - about 4-5 kg ​​per 1 m₂. Planting pits must be at least 40 cm in depth and diameter. They are placed at a distance of half a meter from each other. If necessary, drainage is placed at the bottom of each hole: expanded clay, sand, pebbles or broken brick.

The pits are filled big amount water and leave for 15-20 days. Many gardeners prefer to prepare holes for dicentra shortly before the onset of the first autumn frosts, more than six months before planting the plant itself.

As for the timing of planting dicentra in open ground, then they depend on the reproduction method you choose.

Dividing the bush must be done either before or at the end of the active growing season, in early spring or late autumn.

The timing of cuttings depends on what type of plant you intend to propagate. The shoots of the beautiful dicentra can be cut off throughout the summer, but of the magnificent one - only in early spring. The cuttings are planted in a greenhouse to a depth of about 10 cm. In about a month they will acquire their own sufficient powerful roots. And by the spring of next year, the grown bushes can be moved to a permanent place.

Dicentra is usually sown in open ground in early August so that the seeds undergo natural cold stratification. The soil is regularly watered, avoiding waterlogging. The first shoots will appear in about a month, at this stage you don’t need to pick them. Before frost, seedlings are covered with fallen leaves. In spring, young plants also need to be protected from the cold: as they grow, such precautions will no longer be needed - adult dicentra is very frost-resistant. A perennial grown from seeds blooms only in the third year.

At the end of winter - beginning of spring, you can try seedlings. Seeds are sown in shallow pots. In a month, with moderate watering and a constant temperature of at least 18°C, you will see the first shoots. After 1-2 weeks they can be planted in boxes, and in May they can be transplanted into open ground. Flowering with this method of propagation should also be expected only after two years.

You should not blame yourself for negligence and inattention if you were unable to grow dicentra from seeds: very much here depends not on the efforts of the gardener, but on the quality and properties of the seed material itself.

Watering, fertilizing

During the growing season, be sure to add dicenters to the soil mineral fertilizers with a high nitrogen content. And at the very beginning of spring, feed the bushes with superphosphate. Do not forget to regularly loosen the soil around the plant: for full growth, the roots of the dicentra need air.

Watering should be frequent, but moderate; under no circumstances should the soil be allowed to become waterlogged. And to prevent moisture from evaporating too quickly, during hot weather, cover the ground at the base of the plants with peat or humus.

Trimming and shaping

Dicentra is rarely given any shape: first of all, it is interesting precisely for its bent, long stems strewn with delicate “hearts”.

Unlike many other plants, even the most large varieties This perennial does not require any pruning or staking. In order to stimulate the appearance of new buds, it is enough to simply pick off wilted flowers.

If you want to get the dicentra to bloom again in the fall, simply cut off the drooping flower stalks at a height of about 10 cm from the ground.

Care after flowering, collecting seeds

Usually dicentra blooms until the end of summer and then goes to sleep, but sometimes it can bloom again in August or even September. After the last “hearts” wilt, the plant needs to be fertilized with humus, wood ash and water with diluted compost.

After flowering, small fruit boxes remain on the stems, filled with black, oblong, shiny seeds. However, in the middle zone they, as a rule, do not have time to ripen. If you still manage to collect dicentra seeds, keep in mind that they will remain viable for no more than two years.

Wintering

For winter, dicentra shoots are cut at a height of 3-5 cm from the ground and sprinkled with wood ash. Usually the perennial does not require shelter, but in the event of particularly severe frosts, its roots are covered with a thick layer of peat. After the temperature drops, it is removed so as not to provoke overheating. At the end of wintering, be sure to sprinkle the poisonous roots of the plant with soil.

However, the dicentra can overwinter at home. Until the beginning of January, the pot with the plant is kept in a cool room and watered occasionally. And then they arrange forcing in the center, it is transferred to warm room, put them closer to the light and begin to feed them.

Pests and diseases

The perennial is quite resistant to many diseases, but sometimes it can be affected by ring spot. For prevention, you need to ensure that the bushes are not located too close to each other, and regularly weed the ground.

You should be wary if the dicentra flowers begin to deform and suddenly acquire a greenish or yellowish color. Such changes indicate the presence of mycoplasma disease, which is carried by cicadas. Infected plants and the soil around them must be treated with special antibiotics.

To protect the plant from snails, just add a little sawdust to the mulch at the roots; it will not only prevent the appearance of pests, but will also slightly acidify the soil. And a soap solution will help you in the fight against aphids.

Dicentra is beautiful - its broken heart-shaped flowers, fleshy shoots and lacy foliage look great in any garden. And with proper, but not very burdensome care, the dicenter will long years delight you with its exquisite beauty.

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