Dicentra canadensis is a plant of fleeting presence and lasting impression. In early spring, from tiny underground corms scattered through the soil like yellow corn kernels, it sends up finely dissected blue-green leaves and arching stems carrying pale pink-tinged white, heart-shaped flowers. Then, as the canopy closes and temperatures climb, the whole plant retreats into dormancy, leaving no trace above ground until the following March.

It grows naturally in moist deciduous woods and among rocky outcrops, often at elevation, and it brings that woodland intimacy into a shade garden without demanding much in return. Loamy, moisture-retentive soil and the dappled shade of deciduous trees are its primary requirements. The seeds are distributed by ants, which makes naturalized drifts possible if the conditions are right, though germination is slow. Division of the small root tubers is the more reliable way to establish new plants. All parts are toxic if consumed in quantity.