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Foamflower (Tiarella): How to Grow This Native Shade Groundcover

Beautiful blooming tiarella in sunny June

Foamflower (Tiarella) in bloom, with airy spring flowers rising above its low-growing foliage.
 

Photo Credit
Traveller70
Botanical Name
Tiarella cordifolia
Plant Type
Perennial Flowers
Sun Exposure
Shade
Part Sun
Soil pH
Acidic
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Flower Color
White
Pink
Hardiness Zone
3
4
5
6
7
8
Special Features
Attracts Bees
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Songbirds
Attracts Pollinators

A low-growing perennial with frothy spring flowers and a gentle, spreading habit

Written By: Lauren Landers Master Gardener and Contributing Writer

Get ready to fall head over heels for the heart-leaf foamflower: an easy-care perennial groundcover that’s perfect for shade gardens, pollinator habitats, and erosion control. Not only is this North American native plant well-adapted to low-light gardens, but it’s also naturally resistant to deer and rabbits and becomes tolerant of dry soil once its roots are established.

I’ve grown foamflowers (Tiarella cordifolia) in my woodland garden for years, and in this growing guide I’ll share everything I’ve learned about foamflower care — along with why I think these spring bloomers are some of the best shade plants money can buy.

About Foamflower Plants

Today, there are seven known species of foamflowers (Tiarella spp.), as well as a number of cultivars available at plant nurseries. However, heart-leaf foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) is the easiest to find and the most widely grown variety in home gardens.

This North American woodland perennial is closely related to coral bells (Heuchera) and has a wide native range that stretches from northeastern Wisconsin to Nova Scotia and south to Alabama and Mississippi. Like coral bells, foamflowers thrive in woodland settings and tolerate full to part shade, but their leaves are more understated.

Delicate foam flower blooms in between plant leaves.
Foamflower’s delicate, star-shaped blooms rise lightly above the plant’s lobed leaves. Credit: Amelia Martin

What foamflowers lack in flashy foliage, they make up for with airy, foamy white to soft pink flowers that bloom from March to July and attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

I like to grow foamflowers in my shade garden with other plants that tolerate lower light conditions, like moss phlox, wild ginger, Solomon’s seal, and native ferns. I find these plants work particularly well when grown as sequential bloomers with earlier flowering ephemerals like bloodroot and trout lilies. That said, you can grow foamflowers with non-native annuals and perennials too, and they’re well adapted to container growing as long as you’re prepared to divide your plants every few years to give them more growing room.

When mature, foamflowers grow between 6 and 12 inches tall and spread gradually by creeping rhizomes that root wherever they touch the soil. This mat-forming growth habit makes foamflowers an excellent groundcover for weed suppression and erosion control, without the aggressive or invasive tendencies of many non-native groundcovers.

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Planting

Most growers cultivate foamflowers from potted plants, but foamflowers can be grown from seed too if you’re patient and don’t mind waiting a bit longer for flowers!

When to Plant Foamflower

Potted foamflowers grow best when they’re planted outdoors after the last frost of spring. Foamflower seeds can be directly planted outdoors in fall, or started inside in spring about 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost date. However, the seeds germinate best if they’re cold-stratified before planting, which can be done by fall sowing or by keeping the seeds in a bag of damp sand in your fridge for about 90 days before spring sowing.

Clusters of foamflower (Tiarella) plants growing outdoors in a garden
Clusters of foamflower form a low, spreading carpet when grown outdoors. Credit: MIROFOSS

How to Plant Foamflower

To plant potted foamflower plants:

  1. Dig a hole slightly larger than your plant’s root ball in a shady to partially shaded area with rich, well-draining, moisture-retentive soil.
  2. Amend the excavated soil with compost.
  3. Plant at the same depth it was growing in its nursery pot.
  4. Add mulch and water well.
  5. Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart for a dense groundcover look.

To plant foamflower seeds in spring:

  1. Fill seed-starting trays or pots with damp seed-starting mix.
  2. Sow 2 pre-stratified seeds per cell or pot and lightly cover with substrate.
  3. Keep seeds evenly moist and in bright light.
  4. Thin out the weakest seedlings once true leaves appear.
  5. Harden off and transplant the seedlings outdoors when their stems are sturdy, and the risk of frost has passed.

To plant foamflower seeds in fall:

  1. Prepare your planting site before the ground freezes by removing weeds and raking compost into the soil.
  2. Surface sow seeds and lightly cover with compost or weed-free straw.
  3. Consider adding a cold frame over the plants for extra insulation.
  4. Seeds will naturally cold stratify and only need watering once they sprout in spring.

Growing

In the wild, foamflowers grow in moist forests and along shaded rocky outcroppings, but they also thrive in shade gardens, cottage gardens, woodland habitats, and wildflower beds. In the garden, these plants work well in borders or at the front of flower beds, and they can also be planted on hillsides to reduce soil loss and the need for mowing.

If you want to grow foamflowers in pots, that works too. Just choose a well-draining container that’s at least 12 to 18 inches in size, use a well-draining potting mix, and be prepared to water your plants slightly more than you would if they were growing in the garden. During winter, potted foamflowers should be brought into an unheated garage or shed to protect their roots and watered sparingly, but they can be moved back outside once the risk of frost has passed.

Water
Growing these plants in well-draining moisture retentive soil will help reduce their watering needs. Once established, foamflowers are relatively drought tolerant, but they grow better if you water them about once a week in summer and less during winter. Just don’t water them too much or allow them to languish in soggy soil as this can lead to rot.
Light
Foamflower light requirements are simple. They grow best in dappled light and can tolerate full to part shade and morning sun. Shield this plant from bright afternoon light, though, as direct sun can cause leaf scorch!
Humidity
Low and high humidity conditions are well tolerated by these plants as long as they have good air flow and are watered enough.
Temperature
Cold tolerant foamflowers are unbothered by chilly weather, but they can struggle in hot climates and growing zones 9 and up. Temperatures between 40 and 60°F are most supportive to foamflower growth, and plants will grow slower when temperatures rise or fall beyond this range.
Fertilizer
Like other native plants, foamflowers don’t require fertilizer. Applying an annual application of compost around their roots is all they need.
Toxicity
Foamflowers are non-toxic to humans and pets.

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Pests/Diseases

Foamflowers are hardy plants overall that are mostly resistant to drought, deer, and rabbit damage. But they can still experience a few minor problems.

  • Slugs and snails will sometimes frequent these plants and nibble holes in their leaves. Manage these pests naturally with slug pub traps.
  • Root rot can set in if foamflowers are grown in soggy locations or watered too much. Being choosing about your growing spot and feeling the soil before watering these plants is the best way to avoid this issue. 
     

Propagation

Foamflowers can be grown from seed, but this takes time and patience. These plants benefit from being divided every few years, though, and doing this will produce lots of new foamflower plants for your garden for free.

To divide foamflower plants:

  1. Divide mature foamflower plants in fall – a few weeks before frost is expected in your area.
  2. Dig up the plants with a spade or shovel, then cut or pull them apart with your fingers to divide them into clumps with roots and stems.
  3. Plant the divisions as soon as possible at the same depth they were previously growing.
  4. Space multiple foamflower plants at least 12 inches apart and water well.
Foamflower plant growing in a mulched garden bed.
Foamflower grows well in mulched garden beds and can be divided every few years to create new plants. Credit :Svetlana Zhukova

Seasonal Care
When grown in the garden, foamflowers don’t need any major winterization; however, applying mulch around their roots can provide extra insulation. These plants don’t need pruning either, but many growers may want to deadhead their spent flowers and dead leaves in fall. If possible, resist this temptation and wait until spring to remove dead growth. Those old stems and leaves help to insulate foamflower roots from the cold, and they provide shelter for overwintering pollinators!

Wit and Wisdom

  • Heart-leafed foamflowers are known by other names too, such as coolwort, false miterwort, and the Allegheny foamflower.
  • The name Tiarella means “little turban” and refers to the plants’ uniquely-shaped seed capsules. Cordifolia means “heart-shaped leaves.”
  • The Tiarella genus was first described by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1753.

Flowers
About The Author
Lauren Landers

Lauren Landers

Master Gardener and Contributing Writer

Lauren is a gardener, writer, and public speaker with over a decade of experience helping others learn about gardening, homesteading, and sustainable living.She combines years of practical gardening a...
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