Saxifragaceae

Tiarella trifoliata

Foamflower

Mound of leaves, tall stems, slightly hairy throughout. Basal leaves on long petioles, 1–5 in. across, lobed, sharp-toothed; stem leaves smaller, undivided but toothed. Flowers small, held in spreading cluster at top of thin stems, 5 petals, thread-like, 10 stamens extending upward. Grows in moist shady woods, edge of streams, rivers, below 4000 ft. Var. trifoliata, with leaves divided into 3 separate leaflets on short stalks, is shallowly lobed, sharp-toothed, found almost exclusively west of the Cascades. Var. unifoliata is shallowly lobed, with 3–5 lobes, sharply toothed; grows on both sides of the Cascades and in the Olympics, generally at higher elevations.

• Rarity: Common
• Flowering Time: Late Spring, Early Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 6--24 inches
• Habitat: West-Side Forest, East-Side Forest, Moist Riverbanks
• Found In: Crater Lake Np, Mt. Rainier Np, Olympic Np, N Cascades Np
• Native: Yes