foamflower Interesting Notes

With attractive medium-green lobed leaves and 8-10” tall stems covered in tiny white to pinkish-white flowers, Tiarella cordifolia stands out in the garden as one the best native plants for use as a shade groundcover. Tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions from dry to moist but well-drained soils, this undemanding plant performs reliably in the garden. Foamflower is frequently used as a filler in woodland gardens because of its carefree nature and adaptability. It makes an excellent garden companion for Phlox stolonifera, Dicentra cucullaria, Athyrium filix-femina ssp. angustum, Adiantum pedatum, and Trillium grandiflorum. - Mt. Cuba Center

Foamflower, also called Allegheny Foamflower and False Miterwort, is often found in wet hollows and mossy places in deciduous and mixed woods. It is sometimes associated with cedar and hemlock. Michigan is at the western edge of the range of this species, which is native to woods from Nova Scotia to the eastern edge of Wisconsin and south through the Appalachians to Georgia and Mississippi. Foamflower has been reported in nearly every county in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan and in the thumb area, as well as Genesee, Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, Washtenaw, and Jackson counties. However, it seems to be totally absent from the southwestern Lower Peninsula except for Berrien County, where it was collected in 1917 and again in 1977. Tiarella wherryi is a related species with pink flowers and a clump-forming habit, which is native from Virginia and Tennessee to Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. More... Wild Ones

Tiarella cordifolia Growing and Maintenance Tips

Prefers moist, rich organic soils in full to part shade. Stoloniferous and spreads quickly. Propagate by seed or spring division. Makes an excellent groundcover or edging for shady areas.

Good Substitutions

Tiarella cordifolia var. collina 'Oakleaf'

Tiarella 'Elizabeth Oliver'

Tiarella cordifolia 'Running Tapestry'

Tiarella cordifolia 'Brandywine'