Fantastic Foamflower: A Springtime Show in Shade

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Geoffrey Mehl

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A new clump of Tiarella cordifolia launches racemes of delicate flowers in late May

If I had to name one “go-to” plant for woodland landscapes, foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) would certainly be one among the top contenders. As a groundcover, a border plant, an accent or a rock garden stalwart, foamflower rewards gardeners with a reliably charming spring display of flowers and oh-so-easy propagation.

In all my years as a native-plant gardener, I’ve only purchased three foamflower plants. Those three quickly became 60 (which I moved to a new bed in the middle of drought). I’d guesstimate that now I’ve got more than 300 of these beauties in a bed I keep for a standing supply. (I’m planning to harvest a hundred or so at a time to use around my garden and along borders for a wonderful springtime show.)

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Up close, it’s easy to see how the plant earned its name “foamflower.”

As long as you’ve got shade, this tough plant manages to do well in almost any soil. It even handles deep shade! No wonder you can grow foamflower all over the East Coast and the Upper Midwest. (T. cordifolia’s cousin, Wherry’s foamflower – T. cordifolia var. collina – is more common in the Southeast.)

While the plant handles all kinds of conditions, foamflower truly flourishes in its ideal site: light, well-drained (but damp) soil, rich in surface humus, with an acidity range of pH 5-7. You can also treat the plant to some shredded leaf mulch – especially oak leaves, whole birch, maple or other small leaves – in early spring and late fall. Old straw or weathered marsh hay work well, too. Because the plant adapts to almost any shade condition, it’ll thrive in just about any shady spot you’ve got – except directly under dense evergreens.

Facts

Foamflower is such a great garden selection, plant propagators have developed many cultivars of the basic species to choose from! Now you can find plants with light pink to white blossoms and an increasingly colorful range of foliage, as well as hardiness to specific regions.

Tips

Foamflower has fibrous roots and sends out many pinkish runners from its crown. These runners develop delicate, hairy roots at the joints, and a new plant grows. To propagate, just sever the rooted “baby” plants as soon as a new foliage crown develops, then plant it wherever you’d like to add some foamy beauty.
While foamflower prefers a damp (but not wet) habitat, it can also withstand periods of zero rain and no watering with virtually no ill effects – which is especially important if you live in drought-prone areas.

Faqs

Q: Can I grow foamflower from seed?
A: Growing from seed is a bit more challenging, but if you’re eager to try, harvest packets of tiny, black seed when the pods left on flower stems begin to turn light brown and papery at the base. If sown immediately in a greenhouse environment, the seeds can germinate in a month (but viability declines rapidly if the seeds are stored for too long).

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