Foamflower, Heartleaf foamflower, Clumping Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Family: Saxifragaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Mid spring. Form: Spreading or horizontal.
Tiarella cordifolia is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.2
Where it is found
Rich moist woodlands in the mountains.
Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Ontario and Minnesota, south to Michigan, Georgia and Virginia.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 2
The whole plant is diuretic, hepatic, lithontripic and tonic. It is used in the treatment of bladder and liver problems and also indigestion and dyspepsia. An infusion of the root and leaves has been used to help small children put on weight and also as a wash for a baby's sore back. The whole plant is rich in tannin and this is probably the medically active ingredient. A tea made from the leaves is diuretic. It has been used as a mouthwash and as a wash for sore eyes. The tea is held in the mouth to remove a white coating from the tongue. A tea made from the roots is diuretic and is used in the treatment of children with diarrhoea or sore mouths. The crushed roots can be used as a poultice on wounds.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Hepatic: Acts on the liver (for better or worse!).
Lithontripic: Removes stones from the kidney, bladder etc.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 2
Can be used as a ground cover plant. It is rather slow to spread, though, and needs weeding for the first year or so. Plants should be spaced about 60cm apart each way. This is one of the most attractive and prolific ground cover plants.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Ground cover, Massing, Rock garden, Woodland garden. Prefers a moist humus rich soil in a shady position. Plants are tolerant of deep shade. Prefers a light rich soil. Prefers a woodland soil but succeeds in most soils. Dislikes prolonged winter wet. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer. The plant makes a neat edging to a bed. This species has become a weed in some gardens, spreading by means of long stolons. The sub-species T. cordifolia collina has a non-creeping rootstock. Special Features: North American native, Naturalizing. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 7 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a runner spreading indefinitely by rhizomes or stolons. The root pattern is stoloniferous rooting from creeping stems above the ground.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring or autumn. The plant is quite vigorous and is best divided every second year. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; Ground Cover;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 3-9
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Full shade, semi-shade
Moisture: Moist