Tiarella

Fabulous Shade-Lovers - Foam Flower Tiarella

Tiarella cordifolia is commonly known as Foamflower, Foam Flower, or sometimes called False Miterwort. It is an herbaceous perennial from the Family Saxifragaceae that thrives in the shade and can exhibit semi-to-fully evergreen tendencies in warmer, more frost-free climates!

Tiarella comes from the Latin words "tiara" and "ella" which refers to the small turban-shaped fruit that can form. The Tiarella plants are in the same family as Coral Bells (Heuchera), Tellima and Mitella.

Native to the forests and woodlands of North America and eastern Asia, this clump-forming perennial spreads rapidly by stolons like Strawberries do, and form dense, wide, low-growing mounds of ornamental foliage politely over time.

From the scalloped leaves of the Running Tapestry Foam Flower, to the pointed-lobed, lustrous leafy mounds of the Sugar and Spice, the Pink Skyrocket, and the Cutting Edge Foamflower varieties! Starting as lush green tones with purple to burgundy centers, the evergreen foliage turns a lovely reddish bronze in autumn and winter once frost has touched them!

Their namesake blossoms come in an array of foamy bottlebrushes, spark-like clusters, and starry wands that are lightly fragrant and very long-lasting! Displaying tiny, white flowers on very long stamens that draw in the pollinators and bees, the charming flowers of Tiarella appear in wispy plumes from early spring until early summer. The erect, wiry, flower stems rise well above the foliage clumps.

Using Foam Flower In The Landscape

This lush carpet of ornamental foliage is why Foam Flowers make the front edges of any border a stunning focal point! Spreading throughout the shade or dappled shade garden as living mulch or as a flowering groundcover, Tiarella won't outgrow their garden beds or interfere with larger shrubs or perennials, Cottage gardens, mingling politely among them beautifully!

The perfect mass planting for slopes, throughout the understory, or for naturalizing in those out-of-the-way areas without the worry that Deer and rabbits will mow them down! Unless desperate, these beasties leave Foam Flower alone, but the beneficial insects will adore your drifts of blossoms! Snip a few stems for bouquets and May Day nosegays!

Their smaller, space-saving size means Foam Flowers work in a wide variety of garden situations and can be enjoyed no matter how much room you have to grow them! Keep them as delicious eye candy, and "Fillers" and "Spillers" in container plantings on shaded porches and covered patios for easy potted décor!

Growing Foam Flower Perennials

This woodland perennial is easy to grow! Tiarella will tolerate light sun or afternoon shade in cold winter climates but do best in full shade in warmer growing zones. Cold-hardy and adaptable throughout USDA hardiness zones 4 and up, Tiarella foliage color may be less vivid when they are grown in deep shade and they will have fewer blooms.

These plants are healthier and more colorful when grown in a cool, moist area with acidic soil. Top-dress with compost and/or arborist mulch to maintain moisture levels and keep the roots cool and protected. However, this plant does not tolerate wet soil in the winter, and if it is planted in a pot, it will need protection.

Prune back the mounds in the early spring to clean away any old foliage for the new spring season and divide the clumps every 3-5 years. Otherwise, Foam Flowers are easygoing shade garden gems that are so very underutilized in the landscape today!

Order yours and light up the gloom from Nature Hills Nursery!