Cutting Edge Foamflower - 72-Cell Plug Tray

Cutting Edge is a native foamflower with finely dissected green leaves marked by a bold dark burgundy center, forming a nicely rounded clump. In early spring, creamy, bottlebrush-like flower spikes cover the whole plant and carry a light fragrance.

It stays in a neat clump rather than spreading, so it behaves well in beds and containers. Plant it in dappled to full shade with hostas and ferns for spring flowers and leaf interest that lasts all season.

What it looks like

Upright, fluffy, bottlebrush-like flower spikes 4 to 6 inches long made of many tiny star-shaped flowers in creamy white, rising 4 to 6 inches above the foliage and covering the plant. Leaves are deeply cut into narrow, pointed lobes like a hand with long fingers, 3 to 4 inches long, bright green with a dark burgundy blotch running along the center veins. The plant forms a rounded, clumping mound 8 to 10 inches tall and 16 to 18 inches wide. At peak it looks like a lacy green-and-burgundy cushion topped with creamy wands.

Growing it with lavender

Foamflower needs shade and moist, woodsy soil, so keep it away from the sunny lavender beds and plant it under trees, along a shaded walk or with hostas and ferns.

Care

Plant in part to full shade in humus-rich soil that stays evenly moist but drains well. Hardy in zones 4-9; remove faded flower stalks to tidy the plant, and add a layer of leaf mulch to keep the roots cool and moist.

At a glance

• Botanical name: Tiarella
• Flower color: Creamy white
• Foliage: Green with a dark burgundy center
• Growth habit: Rounded, clumping mound
• Mature size: 8–10 in tall × 16–18 in wide
• USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
• Light: part sun to part shade, full shade
• Bloom start: Mid-April
• Peak bloom: Early-May
• Bloom pattern: Long Blooming
• Deer resistance: Moderately resistant
• Pollinator value: Good

Sizes and shipping

One full 72-cell plug tray: 72 young starter plugs of this variety (cells about 1⅓ in. wide × 2½ in. deep), rooted and ready to pot up into quarts or gallons. Best for growers and nurseries. Potted plants and plug trays ship during our live-plant seasons, March 1–May 31 and October 1–November 30; June through September is local pickup only. Plugs, potted plants and trays do not ship to AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, UT or WA.