Saxifragaceae (Tiarella)

Protocol Information for:

Label_title:
Tiarella (trifoliata)

Family Names:

Family Scientific Name:
Saxifragaceae

Family Common Name:
Saxifrage family

Scientific Names:

Genus:
Tiarella

Species:
trifoliata

Scientific Classification:

Scientific SubSpecies:

Species Authority:
L.

Scientific SubAuthority:

Authors:

Common Synonym:

Genus:

Species:

Synonym Classification:

Synonym SubSpecies:

Species Authority:

Synonym SubAuthority:

Other Information:

Common Name:
Foamflower

Species Code:
TIATRI

Ecotype:
Cedar/Devil's Club habitat, understory species, 1100m elev., Avalanche, Glacier National Park

General Distribution:
T. trifoliata occurs from Alaska to California, east to Alberta, Idaho, and Montana. It is common in moist forests and streambanks, from sea level to mid-montane elevations.

Known Invasiveness:

Propagation Goal:
plants

Propagation Method:
seed

Product Type:
Container (plug)

Stock Type:
160 ml conetainers

Grow Time:
9 Months

Target Specifications:
Stock Type: Container seedling.
Height: 6 cm, 5 to 7 true leaves
Caliper: n/a
Root System: Firm plug in conetainer.

Propagation Collection:
Seeds are hand collected in late August or early fall when capsules begin to split. Seeds are black at maturity.
Seeds are collected in paper bags and kept in a well ventilated drying shed during the drying process and prior to cleaning.

Propagation Processing/Propagule Characteristics:
Seeds are hand cleaned at the nursery using screens to remove papery capsules from the seeds.
Seed dormancy is classified as physiological dormancy.
Seeds/Kg: Unknown
% Purity: 100%
% Germination: 25% to 85%

Pre-Planting Propagule Treatments:
5 month outdoor cold, moist stratification. Sowing Method: Direct Seeding. Seeds are surface sown for the light requirement.
Conetainers are filled and sown in late fall and irrigated thoroughly prior to winter stratification.

Growing Area Preparation / Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:
Outdoor nursery growing facility.
Growing medium used is 6:1:1 milled spaghnum peat, perlite, and vermiculite with Osmocote controlled release fertilizer (13N:13P2O5:13K2O; 8 to 9 month release rate at 21C) and Micromax fertilizer (12%S, 0.1%B, 0.5%Cu, 12%Fe, 2.5%Mn, 0.05%Mo, 1%Zn) at the rate of 1 gram of Osmocote and0.20 gram of Micromax per conetainer.
Seedlings germinate during spring under fluctuating outdoor temperatures and are grown under partial sun exposure. Seedlings are irrigated with Rainbird automatic irrigation system in early morning until containers are thoroughly leached.

Establishment Phase:
Germination continued over a 2 week period. True leaves appeared 3 weeks after germination. Plants should be moved into shadehouse following germination.

Length of Establishment Phase:
4 weeks

Active Growth Phase:
Seedlings developed rapid shoot and root development. Plants are fertilized weekly with 20-10-20 liquid NPK at 100 ppm. Plants are root tight 8 weeks after germination and are ready for outplanting in fall.

Length of Active Growth Phase:
8 weeks

Hardening Phase:
Plants are fertilized with 10-20-20 liquid NPK at 200 ppm in early fall; pots are leached with water. Plants are watered before overwintering.

Length of Hardening Phase:
4 weeks

Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:
Total Time to Harvest: 9 months
Harvest Date: September
Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor shadehouse under insulating foam and snow.

Length of Storage:
5 months

Guidelines for Outplanting / Performance on Typical Sites:

Other Comments:
Vegetative Propagation: Additional nursery stock can be obtained by dividing established nursery stock.
There are three botanical varieties: unifoliata, trifoliata, and laciniata.

References:
Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, Univ. of Washington Press, 7th printing, 1990.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, Deno, Penn State University, publ. 1993.

Glacier Park Native Plant Nursery Propagation Records, unpublished.

Citation:
Luna, Tara; Evans, Jeff; Wick, Dale; Hosokawa, Joy. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Tiarella trifoliata L. plants 160 ml conetainers; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/08/12). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.

Personal tools