One of the wildflowers I love seeing in the spring is the Foamflowers (tiarelle cordifolia). Their delicate flowers add a sense of light beauty to the woods when they bloom.

Foamflower © 2014 Patty Hankins

Foamflowers are members of the Saxifrage family. They bloom in the woods in the early spring – frequently in moist areas along streams and creeks. I’ve also found them growing in damp crevasses in rock faces.

Foamflower © 2014 Patty Hankins

Foamflowers are easily identified by their spikes of white star-shaped flowers. The spikes grow to about 20″ tall.  In the southern part of it’s range – foamflowers have several heart-shaped leaves around the base of the spikes – further north – they tend to found without the leaves.

Foamflower © 2014 Patty Hankins

Foamflowers are native to much of the Eastern United States & Canada – ranging from Maine to Ohio to Mississippi. They can also be found in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec.

Foamflower © 2010 Patty Hankins

Foamflower © 2010 Patty Hankins