# Threeleaf Foamflower (*Tiarella trifoliata*) The Threeleaf Foamflower is a pretty little plant with delicate white flowers that look like tiny stars! It grows in shady places and adds beauty to the forest floor. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Threeleaf Foamflower](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Tiarella_trifoliata_21629.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tiarella_trifoliata_21629.JPG) ## Appearance The Threeleaf Foamflower has delicate spikes of frothy white, sometimes pink-tinged, star-like flowers that appear to float above its foliage. Its bright green leaves are distinctly three-lobed and can turn reddish-bronze in cooler temperatures, making it easily recognizable. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Saxifragales - **Family:** Saxifragaceae - **Genus:** Tiarella ## Interesting facts - Its frothy white flowers look like seafoam, sparkling beautifully in the deep forest shade! - Native peoples used foamflower leaves to make soothing poultices for bug bites and stings! - The leaves can change to beautiful reddish or bronze colors when cold weather arrives! - This plant is sometimes called 'Coolwort' because it absolutely loves chilly, damp places! ## Special abilities - **Foamy Blooms:** Threeleaf Foamflower has delicate white flowers that cluster, creating a beautiful foamy appearance in the forest to attract tiny pollinators. - **Shade Lover:** This plant thrives in deep shade, using specialized leaves to capture scarce sunlight on the dark forest floor. - **Creeping Roots:** Threeleaf Foamflower can spread by sending out underground rhizomes, helping it form lush carpets of foliage. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 15-30 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Two-form Bumblebee (*Bombus bifarius*) — Feeds on nectar, helping the plant reproduce. - **Eaten by:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Deer may browse the leaves of the plant. - **Eaten by:** [Banana Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/banana-slug) (*Ariolimax columbianus*) — Slugs feed on the leaves, especially in moist conditions. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [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. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Threeleaf Foamflower? 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 Threeleaf Foamflower? 15-30 cm ### How wide does Threeleaf Foamflower spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on Threeleaf Foamflower? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Threeleaf Foamflower bloom? Spring ### Is Threeleaf Foamflower edible? No ### Is Threeleaf Foamflower toxic? None ### What is Threeleaf Foamflower's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/armstrong-redwoods-state-natural-reserve) — California, US · State Park - [Bloedel Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bloedel-reserve) — Washington, US · Botanical Garden - [Lower Cushman Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-cushman-dam) — Washington, US · Historic Site - [Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/purcell-wilderness-conservancy-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Tantalus Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tantalus-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Hoh Rainforest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hoh-rainforest) — Washington, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see Threeleaf Foamflower](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/threeleaf-foamflower) ## 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*) --- Source: [Threeleaf Foamflower: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/threeleaf-foamflower)