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rouge21_gw

What's not to like about a Tiarella?

I have 3 of these ("Sugar and Spice") in a row and when they are in flower as they are now they just shimmer in their shady location. And when not in bloom their foliage is interesting enough. This is one of my favourite plants.

Comments (30)

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    10 years ago

    I agree that tiarellas are fabulous plants. That one appears to be a clumping one - do you have any of the running types? I use them a lot to run around things in the woodland garden. They make nice companions to other shade plants because they don't overwhelm them but just thread their way through and around their companions.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I didn't know that 'woody'. I just assumed all were compact and "clumping".

    (But I am thinking that having the delicate flowers all together makes for a bigger impact?)

  • echinaceamaniac
    10 years ago

    They are so beautiful in your photos. I think I'll add some to my Hydrangea garden.

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    10 years ago

    Tiarella cordifolia is the running type and Tiarella wherryi is the clumping one, so I assume 'Sugar and Spice' is a T. wherryi. The running ones can be quite showy too as they sparkle among the emerging foliage of other plants. I can't find a good picture of mine at the moment - where there used to be lots has now been over-run with white corydalis! The ones by the shed are still in a corydalis-free zone so I try to remember to check later to see if they're in bloom... And this thread is a good reminder that I should add some more in other corydalis-free zones!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Tiarellas

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Great info 'woody'. I will keep an eye out for the "cordifolia" varieties.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Great info 'woody'. I will keep an eye out for the "cordifolia" varieties.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks echinaceamaniac. Given your much warmer, sunnier location you might need to put these plants in lots of shade!

  • boday
    10 years ago

    Yep, I have them also. I'm trying to build up a larger number. To my mind, Sugar and Spice is probably the prettiest with its lacquered leaves. You can imagine my chagrin when I ordered three last year and wound up getting 'Pirates Patch'. Mine are just now starting to go into bloom.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    They can look so much alike when in a nursery pot and so they are often mislabelled. And obviously they are hardy even in The Peg!

  • v1rt
    10 years ago

    She's beautiful! Are they hardy to zone 5a? How long does the blooming last?

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    10 years ago

    Virtuosity - I can grow them, so I would expect them to be fully hardy for you as well. I don't know where you are, but I have fine sandy loam acid soil and once planted I really don't have to do anything to them except try to foil the voles and give them a bit of mulch every few years.

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    10 years ago

    I was out in the backyard earlier and remember to bring the camera... Here are some T cordifolia as groundcover under the hydrangea by the shed. It's just a plain green one but I didn't want anything fancy there.
    {{gwi:218445}}

    They're usually listed as hardy to zone 4 so they're pretty tough.

  • boday
    10 years ago

    And obviously they are hardy even in The Peg!
    ---------
    Gack, I've been outed out.

    Believe it or not, I've lost plants due to too much snow cover. It was perfect. It snowed mid November, no prior severe frosts, melted late and rapidly, etc.

    Every dawn patrol, I'm sorrowfully checking desolate little patches. I found a lonely little 'Raspberry Wine' plantlet today out of a whole built up patch. 'Fireball' - nowhere to be seen. This is Monarda for God's sake, it survives always.

    Perennials! Obscenity, Expletive, Sputter.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Are they hardy to zone 5a?

    Easy peasy!

    As I recall they keep this flower for longer than I expected...about 3 week or so?

  • terrene
    10 years ago

    I love that pink Tiarella! Gorgeous! I like my white ones too. They've been blooming 2 or 3 weeks already. I wouldn't describe them as "running" more like they spread gently in one of my woodland gardens. They also have a light sweet fragrance.

    Tiarella cordifolia and Asarum canadense -

  • linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
    10 years ago

    What's not to like? I don't like the fact that I can't get them to live in my yard! Oh, wait...that's heucherella. Are Tiarella easier to grow?

  • linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
    10 years ago

    What's not to like? I don't like the fact that I can't get them to live in my yard! Oh, wait...that's heucherella. Are Tiarella easier to grow?

  • terrene
    10 years ago

    Linnea, I bought a 3 pack of a pink Heucherella about 5 years back from Bluestone. 2 croaked over the winter and one was barely hanging on. It died shortly after that.

    Those plants were probably one of the first Heuchera/Tiarella hybrids on the market and it could have been cultural conditions, but more likely it was a weak cultivar. The straight species Tiarella cordifolia is quite durable. The patch in my picture above is about 6 years old.

  • Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
    10 years ago

    I'm mixed up now. I have Tiarella Spring Symphony and Heucherella Sugar and Spice. Moved Heucherellas and some Tiarellas into a new bed last fall and surprise did not keep plants markers with correct plants in some places.
    Rouge21 could you till me which one has the shiney leaves. Your picture looks like the one I have marked as Tiarella Spring Symphony. Maybe I'll get this straightened out by the end of the year maybe not. Thanks

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    terrene, that is such a beautiful swathe of "T. cordifolia"!

    This post was edited by rouge21 on Tue, May 28, 13 at 15:15

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Rouge21 could you till me which one has the shiney leaves.

    'Patty', I just took a picture of the leaves of the S&S Tiarella.

    FWIW this particular variety was developed by Dan Heims

    And I quote:

    Dan Heims of Terra Nova Nurseries has been hybridizing Tiarella for years and has introduced many fantastic cultivars to date. But after he came up with 'Sugar and Spice' he saw no need to continue hybridizing in this genera. "Sugar and Spice" has everything Dan has ever looked for in a Tiarella: glossy, deeply dissected leaves with a prominent central blotch, abundant pink and white lightly fragrant flowers, and beautiful winter foliage color.

  • Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
    10 years ago

    Oops I siad that wrong both are Tiarellas but I don't know which is which. Then there is a heuchera Sugar and Spice I think.

  • Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
    10 years ago

    Thank you for the picture and patience with my mixing up the names. Spring Symphony was marked correctly. Sugar and Spice had no tag.

  • Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
    10 years ago

    Thank you for the picture and patience with my mixing up the names. Spring Symphony was marked correctly. No tag was with Sugar and Spice. Yeh, now their right.

  • echinaceamaniac
    10 years ago

    It's definitely a great garden plant!

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    UPDATE

    And here is this same "Tiarella" in early November (6 mpnths later). Even after a frost or two its foliage still looks wonderful

  • mxk3 z5b_MI
    10 years ago

    What's not to like? They're toast if the soil is too dry, even in part-shade - brown, crispy plants aren't too attractive to me, so I tossed mine.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Having them in good shade ie very little direct sun, helps prolong the time for which they don't require supplemental water.

    But in an extended hot and dry spell I water them just enough to keep them uncrsipy.

  • Freda
    10 years ago

    I have Tiarella rosalie cordifolia planted by my pond. Well thats what the labels say but the blooms are white on it. Anyway I also have Arum Italicum bulbs planted underneath and the arum is beautiful in the spring but after the leaves die back I don't have bare soil, the Tiarella starts blooming.
    Actually most people think that the Tiarella and the orange seed heads from the Arum are the same plant.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    10 years ago

    Mine are in very shady conditions and they seem to be doing fine, and I have dry conditions a lot over the summer, due to lots of tree roots. They come back every spring and one patch has reseeded for me.

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