Leaf
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Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia L.
Also known as: Heartleaf foamflower
Family: Saxifragaceae
15 to 25 cm tall
Damp woodland in North America in the wild; planted as ground cover in shady borders
Flowering: April – June
Shade
Part shade
Hardy to about -30°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its genus name comes from the Greek 'tiara', the small crown, referring to the distinctive shape of its capsule split into two unequal parts.
🍃 Leaves
Heart-shaped, lobed, often marked with purple blotches along the veins, semi-evergreen
🌸 Flowers
Small, white to pinkish, in a frothy upright spike above the foliage
🍎 Fruits
Small capsule with two unequal valves, the origin of the genus name ('little tiara')
🪵 Bark
Not applicable — stoloniferous perennial herbaceous plant
🗺️ Distribution
Native to the forests of eastern North America; grown as an ornamental ground cover in Europe
🐝 Value for pollinators
Nectar-yielding flowers visited by bees and small woodland pollinating insects
✂️ Horticultural uses
Dense ground cover for shady borders and woodland, spreads by stolons
🌿 Other Saxifragaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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