How big does Foamflower grow?

About 30 cm × 45 cm after ten years (height × width).

What soil does Foamflower grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, acidic.

Hardy down to -34 °C (USDA zone 4, RHS H7). It gets through winter in every part of the country.

When does Foamflower flower?

Flowering: April–June, white, pink.

How much water does Foamflower need?

Water need: medium. Drought tolerance: low.

Foamflower

Tiarella cordifolia

Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) is a ground cover plant that reaches 30 cm × 45 cm after ten years. Light: part shade, shade. Hardy down to -34 °C. Drought tolerance: low. Sold in local shops from about PLN 16.

Illustration of Foamflower — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

A woodland ground cover with maple-like leaves that last through mild winters and airy, foamy spikes of white or pink flowers floating above them in spring. It wants humus-rich, evenly moist soil in shade or part shade, under trees and next to ferns and hostas; it fails in dry ground and in hot sun. What varies by cultivar: whether it runs by stolons into a carpet (like the species) or stays a tight clump (like most hybrids), as well as the dark veining and markings of the leaf and the flower colour.

Watch out for

It scorches and then disappears in soil that dries out and in sun, yet rots in ground that stays wet in winter. Vine weevil grubs can eat the roots and slugs the young leaves, and powdery mildew appears occasionally. In Central Europe the foliage browns in hard winters without snow: cut off the damaged leaves in spring.

Key facts

Light: Part shade, Shade
Water need: Medium
Care: Low
Size after 10 years: 30 cm × 45 cm
Hardiness: down to -34 °C
Foliage: Semi-evergreen
Flowering: J F M A M J J A S O N D April–June, white, pink

All details

Group	Ground cover
Light	Part shade, Shade
Size after 10 years	30 cm × 45 cm
Ultimate size	15–45 cm × 30–60 cm
Hardiness	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Soil	Average garden soil, Acidic
Foliage	Semi-evergreen
Flowering	April–June, white, pink
Water need	Medium
Drought tolerance	Low
Maintenance	Low
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no data
Spreading	Medium
Distance from buildings	no data
Distance from paving	no data
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	30 cm
For dogs	no data
For cats	no data
For children	no data
Typical price	from about PLN 16

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

Sizes and prices available

The same plant is sold as a small pot and as a specimen several metres tall, and the price follows. Prices are rounded and for guidance only.

Size	Typical price
size not stated	approx. PLN 16

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 17, 2026 · How our data is made

Appears in these lists

Ground cover plants for shade Ground cover plants Plants for shade Plants for containers Plants with autumn colour

Guide on the topic

Ground cover plants against weeds: which goes where, and how many you need A ground cover keeps weeds out once it has closed up: until then, usually for two or three summers, it needs mulch and weeding. Under trees and in shade, lesser periwinkle, bigroot geranium, barrenwort and barren strawberry do best; in sunny, dry places stonecrops, thymes and creeping junipers. Most perennial ground covers take 9-18 plants per square metre. The tables work out what a square metre costs at today's shop prices in your country.

Compare with similar plants

Foamflower vs Bugle Foamflower vs Lilyturf Foamflower vs Spotted dead-nettle

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