1869.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
4-17 
The American Bleeding Heart ,—(Bicentra eximia.) 
The beautiful Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spcc- 
tabilis), from China, is well known and highly 
prized as one of the finest ornaments of the 
flower garden. We have 
a native species, which, 
though not so showy as 
that, is deserving of more 
attention than it has yet 
received. The species is 
Dicentra eximia , and as no 
common name seems to 
have been attached to it 
we call it the American 
Bleeding Heart. The spe¬ 
cific name, eximia, means 
“ distinguished,” as it is 
much more showy than 
either of our other native 
ones; but in view of the 
greater showiness of the 
Chinese, it would hardly 
do to designate this as 
“distinguished.” The plant 
is a native of Western 
N. Y., and southward 
along the mountains. Its 
leaves are all radical, of 
the size and shape given 
in the engraving, and of a 
pale glaucous-green color. 
The flower stems are about 
a foot high, and bear clus¬ 
ters of rose-colored or pur¬ 
plish-pink flowers, which have much the struc¬ 
ture of the larger ones of the Chinese species, 
though much smaller and less showy. In quite 
a large collection of herbaceous perennials this is 
one of our prime 
favorites. The 
large clump of 
finely divided 
leaves is beauti¬ 
ful in itself, and 
when we add to 
this the pretty 
but modest flow¬ 
ers, which com¬ 
mence to bloom 
in May and con¬ 
tinue all sum¬ 
mer, there are 
few plants that 
excel it. It is 
ffi perfectly hardy, 
' and is readily 
multiplied by di¬ 
vision of the 
roots. Our spec¬ 
imens came 
from the nurse¬ 
ry of Hoopes, 
Bro. & Thomas, 
of Westchester, 
Pa. Besides the 
one just de¬ 
scribed we have 
two other native 
species, which, 
though not so 
showy, are deli¬ 
cate and beauti¬ 
ful early spring 
flowers, and are 
worthy of a. 
place in a collec¬ 
tion. The most 
common ofthese 
is Dicentra Gu- 
cullaria, popu¬ 
larly known as Dutchman’s Breeches, and the 
other is D. Canadensis, or Squirrel Corn. They 
are found in rich woods in April and May. 
Climbing Hemp-weed. —(Milcania scandens.) 
Late in summer and in early autumn, there 
may be found growing over the bushes which 
border streams, a pretty climbing plant, of 
which we present an engraving of the flowers 
japan anemone—honorine jobert. — (See next page.) 
and foliage of the natural size. It grows to the 
bight of eight or ten feet, and produces a great 
abundance of flesh-colored flowers, which have 
a peculiar “woodsy” odor. 
The nearest relationship 
of this plant is with the 
Thoroughworts or Bone- 
sets, and it might with 
much more propriety have 
been called Climbing Thor- 
oughwort, than its present 
popular name, Climbing 
Hemp - weed, it having 
neither relationship nor re¬ 
semblance to Hemp. Like 
the Thoroughworts, it be¬ 
longs to the Composite 
Family, and it is interest¬ 
ing as being the only native 
climber in that immense 
family of plants. It has 
long been cultivated in 
Europe, and we find it in 
the French Horticultural 
works as a desirable plant, 
though we have never seen 
it in our gardens. It would 
certainly make an interest¬ 
ing addition to bur list of 
climbers. It is a perennial, 
which could be readily 
transplanted from its na¬ 
tive localities, and like the 
Cardinal-flower and many other plants which 
naturally grow in moist places, might flourish 
in the drier soil of the garden. We introduce it 
for the purpose of calling attention to its possi- 
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