Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Fingerpaint Foamflower: Painted Native Leaves for Woodland Shade
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Fingerpaint foamflower is a native shade plant with bright green, deeply lobed leaves, each marked in the center with a bold burgundy blotch, as if someone pressed a painted hand onto it. The pointed lobes give the plant a lacy texture. In spring, light pink buds open to fluffy ivory flower spikes held just above the leaves.
It needs shade and moist, woodsy soil, so it will never share a bed with lavender. Its job in a lavender garden plan is the woodland side: under trees, along a shaded walk or with hostas and ferns.
Fingerpaint at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Tiarella 'Fingerpaint' |
| Foliage | Bright green, deeply lobed, with burgundy center blotches |
| Flowers | Ivory spikes 3 to 5 inches long from light pink buds |
| Bloom | Starts mid-April, peaks early May |
| Size | About 9 inches tall, 12 inches wide |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 4 to 9 |
| Light | Part shade to full shade |
| Deer | Moderately resistant |
A woodland companion in a lavender garden
Lavender wants the sunniest, driest ground you have. Foamflower wants the opposite: cool, moist, leafy soil under a canopy. Most properties have both, and a well-planned garden uses each for what it does best. Fingerpaint is ideal for edging a shaded path, filling the ground under a tree or brightening a woodland bed near the house.
Its painted leaves pair well with ferns, hostas and other natives, and its spring flowers arrive in April and May, long before lavender opens. That gives your garden a spring show in the shade and a summer show in the sun. Sketch both areas in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting and care
- Soil: humus-rich, evenly moist and well-drained. Wet, heavy soil can lead to crown rot.
- Light: keep it out of afternoon sun in hot summers to prevent leaf scorch.
- Mulch: a layer of shredded leaves keeps roots cool and moist, much like a forest floor.
- Tidying: remove faded flower stalks after bloom.
- Spread: it is a semi-running type that forms a dense mound with only modest spreading.
- Pests: watch for slugs in damp seasons.
Winter color
Fingerpaint is semi-evergreen in Michigan, and its leaves often take on dark grayed-purple tones in winter. A light mulch of shredded leaves helps, and a quick trim of tattered leaves in spring makes way for fresh growth. That winter color is a nice bonus in a shady corner that is otherwise bare.
About the plug tray
Fingerpaint is offered as a 72-cell plug tray, a practical size for native plantings, woodland groundcover projects and growers. See the product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
Is foamflower native?
Yes. Fingerpaint is a native foamflower selection, a good fit for native and woodland gardens.
Will it spread like a groundcover?
Only modestly. It forms a compact, dense mound and widens slowly, so plant several close together for a groundcover effect.
Do pollinators visit it?
Yes. Its early spring flowers are good for pollinators when little else is blooming in shade.
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