SafePlants

Coolwort and False Coolworts: A Botanical Overview

The term "coolwort" or "cool-wort" can refer to several plants, including those within the Bolandra genus, commonly known as false coolworts, as well as plants from the genus Tiarella.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Family: Saxifragaceae (Saxifrage Family)
• Genus: Bolandra A. Gray (false coolwort)
• Kingdom: Plantae

Species within Bolandra:

• Bolandra californica A. Gray (Sierra false coolwort)
  • Symbol: BOCA
• Bolandra oregana S. Watson (Northern false coolwort, Oregon Bolandra)
  • Synonym: Bolandra oregana var. imnahaensis (M. Peck) M. Peck

Other Plants Referred to as Coolwort

• Tiarella cordifolia (Heartleaf Foamflower, Allegheny Foamflower, False Miterwort, Coolwort)
• Tiarella trifoliata v. unifoliata (Coolwort, Foamflower, False-mitrewort, Laceflower)

Distribution and Habitat

• Bolandra species are native to North America, specifically the US Lower 48.
• Bolandra oregana (Northern false coolwort) is found east of the Cascade Mountains, including at McCord Creek in Oregon.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Bolandra species are perennials with toothed leaves.
• Bolandra oregana (Northern false coolwort) is a medium-sized herb, reaching up to 1.2 meters in height. It blooms in May-June and is not an evergreen, assuming a pink coloring in the spring.
• Tiarella cordifolia is an herbaceous perennial with lobed basal leaves and short upright spikes of foamy white flowers in late spring and early summer.

Ecological Role

• The text references wetland indicator statuses (FACW) for Bolandra californica, suggesting it is typically found in wetlands.

Further Information

• Discover Life offers a page about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Bolandra oregana (Northern false coolwort).