Tiarella cordifolia Common Name(s): False Miterwort Foamflower
Description
Foamflower is a small, delicate, native herbaceous perennial native to the Eastern Seaboard, including North Carolina. It is a member of the saxifrage family (Saxifragaceae). It is found naturally in moist forests, coves and well-drained bottomlands. The species epithet is compounded from Latin words meaning “heart-shaped leaf.”
Foamflower is best grown in shade, from dappled shade to full shade. It is not tolerant of drought conditions and needs moist, neutral or slightly acidic, humus-rich soils. Damaged foliage can be cut back at the beginning of the growing season and will be replaced with fresh, unblemished leaves. Propagation is by division or separating the plantlets produced on the ends of short stolons. Such plantlets should be allowed at least two growing seasons to establish their own root system before you separate them from the mother plant. Foamflower can be propagated by seeds, but plants are mostly self-incompatible. Two genetically distinct plants are needed to produce seeds. As most commercially available plants are propagated vegetatively (including by tissue culture), nursery stock is often a single genotype.
The shady bank below Granny’s house is covered in foamflowers. Their pink white spires really stand out in the gloom of the shade. Our driveway goes alongside the bottom of the bank. I always notice them this time of the year as I come and go.
I have never thought about trying to transplant them to my yard, but I might in the future.
I haven’t managed to order any native wildflowers, but I still hope to get some started in back of my house and they might do good behind the shed too.
Last night’s video: Where There’s A Will There’s A Way – Arie 3.
Tipper
Tipper, Thanks for the introduction to the foam flower!
Another shade perennial you might be interested in is x Heucherella. It is a man made cross between the Tiarella and Heuchera. It carries traits of both genera and hybridization improvements have been made through the years to create bright leaf colors. The x in front of Heucherella means it is an intergeneric cross, or the crossing of 2 genera.
An interesting thing to know about Heuchera and Tiarella is that both are in the Saxifrage family, which is the same familiy that our native branch lettuce is in.
Hi Tipper and Acorns. What a beautiful plant. I hope you fand lots of lovely native plants to set out. I love seeing all of your flowers and garden. TY for reading to us from the book last night. A Happy Anniversary in heaven for Granny and Pap. Hugs for you Tipper. I know your heart is breaking. I love Matt’s new “toy.” I made some of your New Favorite Soup yesterday and we will eat on it all weekend. I call it Kilt Lettuce Soup. I keep everyone here and up Wilson Holler in my prayers. TY all for Praying for Ed and me. Praise report, I got to see my cousin that moved to West Virginia today. He has cancer of the Pancreas and was clear of it for almost 5 years after treatment. It came back last fall and has just recently finished a new treatment and is clear again. Cancer is no longer an automatic death sentence for some types. GOD gets all the Praise and Glory for everything in our lives. I love y’all.
Most of the leaves in the photo are that has evil vine that attacked you, right? The leaves of the flower are lower to the ground and kind of heart shaped with lobes, right? I thought I had seen the flower in nature but the evil vine confused me but I think I figured it out.
I got a good little rain here today with a promise for more Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Yes the vine is there too. Yay for rain we got some too 🙂
We have these growing in spots in woods around our house. They are pretty. I have never known what they were. Thanks for the education and information, Tipper!
This is a wildflower I don’t recall seeing, but I will keep my eye out for it. It’s sure beautiful. I looked pictures up online of what an entire bank of them might look like— wow, just lovely! Thank you for sharing it’s Pap and Granny’s anniversary today. I know you miss them so.
Thanks for the reminder about foam flower. I grew up seeing it all the time but cannot recall this minute when/where I last saw it in bloom. You make me grin (again) thinking about more planting. I’d still like to ask Matt how much acreage you would need to have enough planting room. I’m teasing you, of course. You remind me of my Mom and her love of flowers and the garden. You two could have been good friends I think.
So beautiful!!!!
I never knew the name of this pretty flower, and it’s been years since I have seen any. Thank you for sharing.
Turtle Rock Holistic in Blairsville has an abundance of native plants. Brooke grows all organic and anything I have purchased from her grows beautifully. Check her out! They’re always at the farmers market too!
I love wildflowers. The foam flower I have seen are near waterfalls. Would love to see a whole bank of them like Granny’s . Bought some at the native plant sale we have in middle Tn each spring. I’ve also ordered different plants from a native nursery in western NC.
I’m sure Foamflowers are blooming around here, but I never paid them much attention and didn’t know their name. I planted some wildflowers in a small flower bed a few years ago, never expecting the show they put on all summer. The wildflowers gave me an idea of what I could do with a large area between two sheds in my backyard that is an inconvenience to mow. We tilled it and planted a ton of wildflowers. I sowed two large packs of 21 varieties, plus a big pack of Zinnias I ordered from Amazon that I planned to use in a much larger area. Can’t wait to see mine and God’s creation that hopefully attracts bees, butterflies, and birds for added pleasure.
I’m of an age that I can remember Lady Bird Johnson and how she wanted to strew wildflowers alongside the interstate highways, how some folks in agricultural areas whose property abutted such a highway weren’t terribly keen on the idea, and how President Johnson told those in Congress responsible for dealing with the appropriation for such a program that “My wife doesn’t ask for much, so let’s just give her this one, shall we?”, with the usual tacitly understood threat of that he’d remember anyone who opposed it, and make life difficult for them.
I remember her being on the TV and saying, “Plant a tree, a shrub, a flower, or a native plant.”
Threats and coercion? Illegal for the common man but par for the course for politicians.
So pretty! Our nursery carries these. In fact, a lot of people in Indiana are beginning to plant many native plants and herbs in their landscaping. When I get the load sheets in I’m always looking for unusual plants. Some of our suppliers list botanical names only and I have to look them up. We are a full three years into the nursery business and I have learned so much. Have a wonderful day!
Good morning Tipper!! I’ve never seen foam flower before. It’s lovely!! A garden club over in Menard Co in the town of Petersburg, has offered free packets of native plant seeds. (It’s close to Abraham Lincoln’s New Salem Settlement is located) I’ve been successful with a couple of them. I already have milkweed plant in parts of my pasture but have added to it with their thoughtful seed sharing. Watching the monarch butterflies emerge and float from flowers to the butterfly bush just makes my heart flutter!! I was happy to hear that the plants you all put out for Granny last spring are doing well♡ I greatly enjoyed your visit to Satterfield’s and seeing what all you bought and planted. Your yard is going to be so full of color! Thinking of Pappaw Tony and sending continuous prayers his way.
I have never heard of this one….it is very pretty.
They are so pretty. Thank you for sharing.