HOURS:
Mon to Fri 8am - 6pm
Fri & Sat 8am - 8pm
Sun 8am - 7pm
LOCATION:
8546 Sun Valley Road
Anytown, USA  12345
CONTACT:
phone: 261.788.5500
fax: 261.787.0463
e-mail: info@successgc.com
UP AND COMING
Deer-Resistant Gardening
Master Gardener Dorothy Dupage shares her experiences creating a truly deer-resistant garden in this month's popular 'Garden Talk' installment...
VIEW

Plant Finder

perennial

Stargazer Mercury Foamflower

Tiarella 'Stargazer Mercury'

 

Stargazer Mercury Foamflower (Tiarella 'Stargazer Mercury') at A Very Successful Garden Center

Stargazer Mercury Foamflower flowers

Stargazer Mercury Foamflower flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Plant Height:  8 inches

Flower Height:  15 inches

Spacing:  15 inches

Sunlight:  partial shade  full shade 

Hardiness Zone:  4b

Ornamental Features

Stargazer Mercury Foamflower has masses of beautiful spikes of lightly-scented white bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from mid spring to mid summer, which emerge from distinctive pink flower buds, and which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive deeply cut lobed leaves remain green in color with distinctive deep purple veins throughout the year. The dark red stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

Landscape Attributes

Stargazer Mercury Foamflower is an herbaceous evergreen perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Stargazer Mercury Foamflower is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Mass Planting
  • Rock/Alpine Gardens
  • Border Edging
  • General Garden Use
  • Groundcover
  • Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Stargazer Mercury Foamflower will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity extending to 15 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 15 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Stargazer Mercury Foamflower is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight Soil pH Preference
Characteristics
Massing  Rock  Edging  Garden  Groundcover  Container 
Applications
Flowers  Foliage Color  Texture  Bark 
Ornamental Features