Dicentra ‘Aurora’ is an excellent white-flowered Dicentra that thrives in a wide range of situations. The creamy, pale flowers arrive in abundance and dangle merrily away throughout the year. Below the flowers lie a carpet of glaucous leaves which persist well in to winter. All in all it has a rather charming appearance, which belies it’s sturdy constitution.
‘Aurora’ is a hybrid with lineage from those two All-American stalwarts: Dicentra formosa and Dicentra eximia. Like all of the most vigorous D. formosa derived plants, it’s rhizomatous roots like to steadily seek out landscapes new and exciting. The presence of D. eximia’s East Coast genes make ‘Aurora’ more tolerant of warmer temperatures than D. formosa alone gives. I grow it in one of the driest spots in the garden and it sometimes goes dormant during the height of a particularly dry summer, but it seems to cope admirably with it’s inscrutable treatment.
There are a number of very similar white-flowered Dicentras that are widely available. The exact difference between them is up for debate, but the plant I offer here is a clone of the plant I originally bought as ‘Aurora’. Of the various white-flowered varieties I grow, this is the toughest and most suitable for the widest variety of situations. I am currently in the process of trying out a few of the available varieties to see what the difference is, if any!
To explore further:
Blog post about Dicentra ‘Aurora’
Dicentra ‘Aurora’s Happy Place is to be slowly growing into and creeping through fresh new soil. With it’s exploratory rhizomes staying near the surface, it’s not difficult to contain it should that be your desire. It is a very obliging plant for the gardener: reliable and tough, with a long flowering period and an easy going disposition. Here it grows in the shade, but it has a reputation for being one of the best Dicentras for sunny spots.
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