# Brookfoams (*Boykinia*)

Brookfoams are lovely plants that grow near streams and wet areas. They have pretty, fluffy white flowers that look like little clouds in the water!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Wetlands

![Brookfoams](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Boykinia_occidentalis_6567.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boykinia_occidentalis_6567.JPG)

## Appearance

The Brookfoams has a delicate appearance with frothy clusters of tiny white or pale pink flowers that often seem to float above its deeply lobed, green leaves. Its stems are typically reddish, adding a subtle contrast to the overall lush green foliage.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Saxifragales
- **Family:** Saxifragaceae
- **Genus:** Boykinia

## Interesting facts

- Brookfoams’ flowers are so tiny, you often need a magnifying glass to see all their parts!
- Its scientific name, Boykinia, honors a famous botanist, Dr. Samuel Boykin!
- Some Brookfoams species have sticky hairs on their stems to trap tiny insects!
- These plants can grow on rocky slopes, using roots to cling to the ground!

## Special abilities

- **Wet Feet Power:** Brookfoams has special roots that help it thrive in soggy, boggy soils where other plants struggle to grow.
- **Rhizome Resilience:** Brookfoams can spread underground with rhizomes, allowing it to quickly form colonies and survive tough conditions.
- **Pollinator Beacon:** Brookfoams produces abundant nectar, guiding insects to its flowers to help spread its tiny pollen grains.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-50 cm
- **Spread:** 15-40 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to late summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — gathers nectar and pollen from flowers.
- **Eaten by:** [white-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses on its leaves and stems.
- **Pollinates:** [rusty-patched bumble bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rusty-patched-bumble-bee) (*Bombus affinis*) — an important, endangered pollinator.

## Traits

- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always stay on paths when exploring near water to stay safe.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Brookfoams?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Brookfoams?

15-50 cm

### How wide does Brookfoams spread?

15-40 cm

### How big are the flowers on Brookfoams?

0.5-1.5 cm

### When does Brookfoams bloom?

Late spring to late summer

### Is Brookfoams edible?

No

### Is Brookfoams toxic?

None

### What is Brookfoams's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Brookfoams: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brookfoams)