TIARELLA. North America, Asia. Woodland perennials closely related to the heucheras. They may form tight clumps or spread by rhizomes to make broad mats. They have rosettes of large basal leaves resembling those of the heucheras, round to heart-shaped and sometimes divided. Flowers are small but many, carried in extended clusters, mostly in summer. They have narrow, sometimes almost invisible petals and conspicuous stamens. Light to medium shade, well drained, preferably acid soil, moderate to regular watering. The following are hardy to 0^oF. or less.

cordifolia ‘George Schenk’ (‘George Schenk Pink’). This selection forms dense, spreading mats crowded with angled, roughly heart-shaped leaves up to 2" long. The leaves are dark green overall, heavily tinged with purple in cooler weather. Each reddish 1’ stem displays dozens of spidery 1/4" flowers, pale pink in color and opening from darker buds.

trifoliata var. unifoliata. Sugar-scoop. This is a native of California and the Northwest, common in our conifer forests. It has sharply lobed, heart-shaped leaves up to 3" broad, making a lush deep green mass. It carries tiny white flowers on leafy 6-18" stems. From them develop odd curved seed capsules, for which it gets its common name.

wherryi. This species makes dense hummocks, the shoots crowded with broad, pointed-lobed leaves. These always have some red veining in the current selection, and they take on a variety of pleasing red hues in fall and winter. In late spring and often again in fall it produces waves of 1’ flowering stems. Each is set with dozens of small, pale pink blossoms.