Fragile-looking spring flowers, which are easy to grow in cool part shade, with plenty of leaf mould. Long season of flowering, from spring to mid-summer. Colours mainly white and pink, but with much variation in shades, plus each flower often a bi-coloured. A rather unusual flower structure, with outer petals swollen, or spur-like and the inner petals clasped together. Variously called bleeding hearts, lady in the bath, locks & keys. Foliage often very attractive, with some very fern-like, or glaucous. Some Dicentra have now been moved to other genera, including Lamprocapnos, Dactylicapnos and Ichtyoselmis.
The unique flower structure restricts the range of pollinators that can access the rich nectar source inside; indeed it is believed that some forms are capable of being pollinated by queen bumblebees only. As the queens are in need of reliable food supplies when they are establishing nests, dicentras probably punches above their weight helping to ensure a supply of pollinators later in the summer.