Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) is a knee-high woodland wildflower and a member of the same Saxifrage family as Bishops Cap. Both have delicate white blossoms on a tall leafless stalk. The leaves below the blossom stalk are reminiscent of maple leaves, and the entire plant is about a foot tall. In the Smoky Mountains look for Foamflower blooming in April along the Chestnut Top Trail or the Cove Hardwoods Trail. There are also some exceptional stands along the Bud Ogle Nature Trail, where I took the photo at the bottom of the page.
The genus Tiarella translates into “small crown,” as in a tiara. The leaves of foamflower are high in tannin, accounting for its other common name, Coalwort. The plant was used to treat burns and mouthsores.
Please stop in and visit me to see the complete display of Smoky Mountain Photography at the William Britten Gallery in Gatlinburg, TN.
