“With pretty flowers and eye-catching leaves, Tiarella 'Sugar and Spice' makes a wonderful ground cover for shade gardens. Give it the right conditions — that soft, gentle light and rich woodland soil…”
Leucothoe lutea
Tiarella ‘Sugar and Spice’ Is a Sweet Ground Cover for Shade
With pretty flowers and eye-catching leaves, Tiarella 'Sugar and Spice' makes a wonderful ground cover for shade gardens. Give it the right conditions — that soft, gentle light and rich woodland soil — and this foamflower basically takes care of itself.
Common name: 'Sugar and Spice' foamflower
Botanical name: Tiarella 'Sugar and Spice'
Origin: Tiarella is a genus of perennials native to Asia and North America. The cultivar 'Sugar and Spice' brings together several different species. It hit the garden market back in 2006.
Flowers: Spikes of tiny white flowers open from pink buds in mid-spring. These long-lasting blooms stand just above the foliage and can come out in really impressive numbers. If you deadhead and keep the plant happy, you might even get a light rebloom in summer.
Foliage: Maple-like in shape, the new leaves emerge in spring just before the flowers and keep developing into summer. Spring foliage is shiny and bright green with a maroon splotch right at the center. The color darkens through summer and turns mostly purple by fall. This plant is evergreen, though the winter foliage looks its best in milder climates — harsh winters will take a toll on it.
Size and habit: This perennial reaches eight to ten inches tall in leaf, with the flowers adding a couple extra inches when they appear. It's a mounding plant that grows slightly wider than tall and stays in a neat clump. For a ground cover effect, plant several of them spaced no more than a foot apart.
Related: You can mix Tiarella 'Sugar and Spice' with other plants, including sedges, to create a weed-blocking tapestry. Read more in "How to Combine Sedges with Garden Perennials" and "Using Perennial Plants As a Living Green Mulch."
Growing Tiarella 'Sugar and Spice'
Exposure: Part to full shade
How to grow it: Foamflowers need part to full shade and consistently moist, fertile soil. An annual topdressing of compost works wonders for the soil. This perennial also loves being mulched with fallen leaves — they conserve moisture and feed the soil as they break down. Just shred large leaves or stick with small, fine ones to avoid smothering the plants or causing rot.
If you've improved the soil with those steps, Tiarella 'Sugar and Spice' doesn't need fertilizer. It does need regular watering during dry spells though — keep the soil moist but not soggy.
Deadheading the spent flowers can encourage a light rebloom. Trim off old or damaged foliage in early spring before new growth starts. Propagate by division in late summer. USDA Zones 4–9.
Related: You can treat tiarellas just like their cousins the coral bells (Heuchera) in spring. Follow the steps in "Tidying Up Heuchera Plants by Pruning Them." And learn about propagating them in "Dividing Perennial Plants: Why, When, How and What."
Image courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
