Foamflower May 20, 2008
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in wildflowers.Tags: Foamflower, Tiarella cordifolia
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How odd to think that this flower is listed as endangered in New Jersey and Wisconsin. It grows in great profusion around here!
Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), also known as Heartleaf Foamflower, is a flower of rich woods in the eastern part of North America. I have been seeing it in bloom in several of my favorite hiking places over the last week or so.
Native Americans made a leaf tea from Foamflower to treat mouth sores and eye ailments, as the leaves contain tannins – a natural astringent. (source)
Foamflowers produce seeds, of course. They can also spread by rhizomes, so it is not unusual to find large colonies.
Foamflowers are in the Saxifrage family which contains over 700 species. Sometimes their leaves persist through the winter. Here’s a photo from last January:
How about you? Have you seen Foamflower blooming where you live? Apparently this plant is a favorite groundcover for shade gardens… Do you have any tucked away in one of your gardens?
We have Tiarella trifoliata in BC, also called foamflower. The flowers look much the same but some of the the leaves are divided into leaflets of three as the name would suggest. I had some growing amid Heuchera and a hybrid – Heucherella, but all disappeared over the winter and my shade garden has a lonely void. I suspect burrowing rodents are to blame, nibbling at the roots.
That’s a pretty flower! Reminds me just a little of false solomon’s seal.
I always get these confused with a similar flower! Then once I remember it they are gone! Great post Jen!
We have a lot of these in the lower portions of Plummer’s Hollow along the stream. They seem to be holding their own against the invasive garlic mustard, and recover quite quickly after a disturbance, as one might expect of a plant adapted to flood plains.
I don’t think it’s here–at least on our property.
But, one thing I notice about being located just north of a major river and west of a broad mountainous region, is that the areas I frequently walk are very diverse.
I will keep my eyes open.
(It always puzzles me about those distribution maps–obviously, the plants aren’t respecting state boundaries.)
I love this pretty flower. We have lots of them on our area that are just coming into bloom. I has been very cool the last week or so and it has slowed growing things down somewhat.
That’s a beautiful dainty little flower! I’ve never seen it, but from your range map, I shouldn’t expect to!