![]() ![]() The genus name Tiarella comes from the Latin word "tiara" (an upright Persian crown) and "-ella" (diminutive) which refers to the small turban-shaped dry fruit (a capsule). Like heuchera, Tiarella like dappled shade but prefers a moister habitat than its botanical cousin. In the wild, foam flowers are generally found in woodland or mountainous (montane) environments. Tiarella are closely allied with the genus heuchera and can be hybridized with it to make the intergeneric hybrid x heucherella. Unfortunately, the plants don't always cooperate with the taxonomists, and the splitting of Tiarellas into these varieties simply doesn't hold up across their range. ![]() The varieties are based on leaf size, shape, and the presence or absence of stolons. collina (Maryland south to Mississippi), and Tiarella cordifolia var. austrina (Virginia south to Georgia), Tiarella cordifolia var. The East Coast Tiarella cordifolia is further subdivided by some taxonomists into three varieties: Tiarella cordifolia var. ![]() The genus is native to eastern North America (Tiarella cordifolia and Tiarella triphylla) and Asia (Tiarella polyphylla). Tiarella are commonly known as foam flowers, because their masses of tiny, spidery flowers atop short stalks collectively look like foam on a stick. Growers start with buds, leaf petiole bases, or even pieces of the flower stalk and can create plantlets in only a few weeks. The great majority of commercially produced Tiarella start life in tissue culture. With a little more care, you may also have success by removing a leaf at the base along with a small piece of stem tissue and rooting the leaf/stem cutting. They will root easily without any rooting hormone as long as they are protected from desiccation by a mist bench or a plastic dome. You can also collect the offsets before they have rooted and treat them like stem cuttings. The smaller offsets may need to be potted and placed in a cold frame during their first winter. When the plant has reached its third year, you can dig up the clump, wash away the soil, and pull off the rooted offsets. After their second season, the offsets form their own roots. Tiarella naturally produces offsets on stolons which can be used to produce more plants. The seeds may also be dried and stored for up to a year. Germination should occur within 30 days and the seedlings will be ready to pot up by fall. The seed can be collected and sown immediately. The flowers appear in the summer and the seeds will be ready six weeks after pollination when seed pods will turn brown and then split open. The plants are generally self-sterile, so gardeners who want seed will need to plant more than one species or cultivar. How to Propagate Tiarellaįoam flowers are easy to propagate from seed. The pots will need some protection from cold winter winds. Keep the pots well watered in the summer but do not over-water in the winter. They like well drained potting mixes without a lot of fertilizer. Tiarella grow quite well in shade garden containers. Tiarella 'Spring Symphony' PP 12,397 EU 9845 ![]() Buy plants only from nurseries that scout for and remove infected plants. There is no control for nematodes.avoidance is the key. Rarely, foliar nematodes will cause ugly discolored patches on the leaf. Gardeners may sometimes see mealy bugs or slugs but they are easily controlled with commercial products. Black vine weevils are controlled by systemic insecticides but if untreated, they will eventually kill the plant. Occasionally black vine weevils can infest the plant, boring into the crown and killing the tops. Foam flowers are generally not affected by insect pests. The astringent Tiarella leaves are generally left alone by deer and rabbits, but remember that in the middle of the winter a ravenous deer or rapacious rabbit will eat anything, including Tiarella. If they become tattered looking due to weather extremes, they can be cut back for rejuvenation, but this is not necessary. Tiarella are low maintenance plants and can remain undivided for years in the garden without losing vigor. Foam flowers prefer the pH in soils to be close to neutral and in order to pair them with more acid lovers, we recommend a pH of 6.2 - 6.5 that will allow all plants to be grown equally well. In North Carolina, a site with 3-5 hours of dappled sunlight per day is perfect. In deep shade their foliage color may fade. Tiarella are better for deep shade than their cousin heuchera but prefer the dappled sunlight found in shaded woodland gardens. Tiarella 'Pink Skyrocket' How to Grow Tiarella ![]()
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