How did the flower Bleeding Hearts come about? The shape is so perfect a symbolic heart.
“The outer, heart-shaped petals act as landing platforms for larger insects, particularly bumblebees. The white, “bleeding” droplet is actually a modified petal that guides the pollinator towards the nectar spurs located on top of the heart…”
Originating in China,Korea and Japan the plant’s common Chinese name means Purse Peony. The peony reference is with the leaves being similar to peonies. The Korean common name is Gold Bag Flower - the same comparison with a drawstring purse. The Japanese common name Sea Bream Fishing Rod - the similarity in appearance of the inflorescence to a number of little fish hanging by their tails from a rod, while clasping yet smaller fish in their jaws.
I have to guess that our common name of Bleeding Heart derives from Europeans, though there is a Japanese love story associated with it. The smaller Dicentra formosa was discovered by Scottish surgeon and naturalist Archibald Menzies on the Vancouver Expedition. He collected seed in 1792 in Nootka Sound and gave it to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in 1795. The one we think of as Bleeding Heart was introduced to England in 1810 - it isn’t Dicentra but Lamprocapnos as Dicentra is considered obsolete. However, the North American native bleeding heart plants are of the genus Dicentra. So I guess confusion can reign over Bleeding Heart’s genus names but definitely not over its shape of a symbolic heart.
Here are some Bleeding Hearts, hearts found and a Valentine on ths February 14th Valentine’s Day.
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