Tiarella 'Spring Symphony'

Tiarella 'Spring Symphony': Dark-Starred Leaves Under Pink Spring Froth

'Spring Symphony' tunes up in the shade with dense pink buds that open soft pink to white, and yes, they're fragrant. Every leaf has a black star in the middle like a spot marked for the conductor. CUE THE STRINGS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Tiarella hybrid
• Common Name: Foamflower
• Height: 20–25 cm (8–10 in)
• Spread: 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
• Flowers: Fragrant, densely packed spikes of soft pink buds opening pale pink to creamy white
• Bloom Time: Late spring (May to June), sometimes reblooming
• Foliage: Deeply cut green leaves with a black star-shaped centre; bronzy purple in winter
• Features: RHS Award of Garden Merit, compact
• Plant Patent: USPP 12,397

Where to Plant: Its tidy size suits the front of a shade border, a woodland path edge, a shady rock garden or a container on a north-facing porch. Plant it in groups of three or five for a soft pink haze in late spring.

Companion Plants: Dicentra 'Luxuriant' brings ferny leaves and red hearts at 30 to 38 cm from May to August. Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum' adds arching stems with white bells at 45 to 60 cm in May and June, a graceful contrast with the low foamflower clumps. Liriope 'Royal Purple' carries purple spikes at 30 to 45 cm in August and September. All three like full shade to partial sun.

Plant Care: Plant in part to full shade in humus-rich soil that stays moist but drains well. Mix in compost at planting time, especially in clay or sandy soil. Protect it from strong afternoon sun. Water regularly the first year and during dry summer stretches. Leaf mulch keeps the roots cool. Remove faded flower spikes to tidy the plant and encourage more blooms. In spring, cut away any leaves that look tired after winter. Divide in spring when clumps get crowded.

History: 'Spring Symphony' was bred by Dan Heims at Terra Nova® Nurseries in Oregon from a cross between Tiarella 'Pink Bouquet' and an unnamed seedling, and was patented in 2002. It later earned the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Final Thoughts: Compact, deer resistant and adored by pollinators. Plant three in a shady bed. THE SHADE GARDEN HAS PERFECT PITCH.