Foamflower

Foamflower is the groundcover for shade that actually flowers. Tiarella cordifolia sends up spikes of frothy white bloom in mid to late spring, held above the leaves on wiry stems, and covers ground the rest of the year with maple-shaped foliage that often carries a dark burgundy marking along the veins. It grows 6 to 12 inches tall and spreads by runners to about 24 inches, hardy from Zone 4 through Zone 9 in part shade to full shade, and knits together within two or three seasons.

Bloom lasts three to four weeks and reads bright in low light, which is what makes it useful under trees where most flowering perennials give up.

The foliage is semi-evergreen, holding through winter in the milder zones and taking on bronze and red tones in cold weather. In the coldest part of the range it flattens under snow and comes back in spring.

Foamflower grows naturally on the floor of eastern woodlands, so it wants soil with organic matter and steady moisture rather than a dry root-filled spot under a maple. It spreads by surface runners into a broad patch, which makes it a good understory filler and easy to divide. Deer leave it alone.