Tiarella cordifolia ‘Delaware’

The largest, roundest leaves and deep pink buds

Size: 4-6″ tall by 18-24″ wide
USDA hardiness zones: 4(3)-9
Sun/shade: full to part shade
Soil: average garden soil
Moisture: would love to have moist, organic soil, but also grows well in dry soil with lots of rot competition. Diseases and pests: none known
Landscape use: dry to moist shade, shady slopes, stream banks, shade containers, shade hanging baskets.
Market appeal/Uniqueness: Delaware has the largest, roundest leaves with subtle, deep purple markings.  Delaware is surprisingly very drought tolerant.
Propagation methods: tissue culture, vegetative cuttings
Date of introduction: January, 2009
Bloom time: April to June

Angela’s Garden Notes:

From the superior breeding genetics of Sinclair A. Adam, Jr. of Dunvegan Nursery we bring you Tiarella cordifolia ‘Delaware’, another fine addition to The River Series of truly East Coast native foam flowers.

Delaware has the largest, roundest leaves with subtle, deep purple markings. Delaware grows four to six inches tall and spreads to18 inches wide in one season. Prolific, deep pink blooms from late April to June are held high above the foliage on dark red stems.

Delaware’s three by three inch leaves often fool visitors to my garden who think they are non-hardy begonias. The velvet leaves and the deep, purple-black venation becomes more pronounced as the foliage matures.The semi evergreen foliage refreshes itself in early April and is then complemented by deep maroon stems holding medium pink buds that open to bi-color pink and white blooms held high above the foliage.

Each bloom lasts four to six weeks and gives way to even larger, more boldly colored foliage that remains green and fuzzy until a good, hard frost when the transformation to fall and winter foliage begins. Fall foliage for Delaware begins deep maroon and finishes a lovely tawny color.  As true winter weather appears, the tawny colored foliage remains until Spring, when brand new, deep kelly green, very fuzzy foliage emerges from the crown. and the cycle begins all over…