Foamflower

Tiarella cordifolia

Family Saxifragaceae

Brief Description: Has rounded basal leaves and an erect, usually leafless stem. Small, white, star-shaped flowers on 6 inch or taller, showy racemes. Standing 6-12 inches in height.

Blooms from April to May.

Geographic Range: From Nova Scotia to Ontario and eastern Wisconsin, south to Georgia and Alabama.

Habitat: Rich, moist woods.

Garden Use: Ground cover for a shaded area with well drained soil that is high in organic matter. Water during dry periods. This is an ideal groundcover for a shade garden; it can be used on the edge of a path or at the base of trees and shrubs. Note: Tiarella wherryi is essentially the same plant, but it does not spread to form a ground cover.

Propagation: Cut the stalks 5-7 days after the uppermost flowers have passed. Air dry the capsules for a few days until they split open, collect the seeds and refrigerate. Sow the seeds in a flat in early spring and place in sun.

Historic Uses: In 1850, Susan Cooper wrote that the leaves are placed on burns in order to heal.