Dicentra spectabilis, commonly known as Bleeding Heart, has quickly become one of my favorite spring perennials. Its arching stems laden with dangling heart-shaped blooms may make this plant seem dainty and ephemeral, but it is actually a hardy garden workhorse.

Most of us have no idea where the flowers in our vases come from. In fact, the US imports almost 80 percent of flowers sold. The vast majority comes from Colombia, driven by the suspension of US import duties on Colombian flowers in 1991. According to Smithsonian, in an effort to solve one problem—the import of cocaine— the US government created a new one—the demise of our flower industry.