Eastern Goat's Beard Aruncus dioicus
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- ah-RUN-kus dye-oh-EE-kus
- Description
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Goat's Beard is a native rhizomatous perennial in the rose family that is found in damp, fertile woods, and mountainous areas of eastern USA. It is dioecious with separate male and female plants. The flowers on the male plant are showier with numerous stamens per flower while the female flower has 3 stamens. Goat's Beard grows to a bushy 3-6 foot tall plant that makes a bold statement in the garden. The blooms are astilbe-like, only much larger, growing to a foot long.
Goat's Beard prefers moist, fertile, organically rich soils that are not allowed to dry out in full sun to part shade. It is best to give it protection from the hot afternoon sun in the southern portion of its growing range. Give it plenty of room to grow and be aware it may take 2-3 seasons for it to mature.
Use this plant in rain gardens, along stream beds or ponds. Or place it at the back of a woodland perennial garden.
Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Goat's beard has some susceptibility to leaf spot.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- ‘Child of Two Worlds’
Short, sturdier - ‘Kneiffii’
Compact, less showy flowers - var. dioicus
- ‘Child of Two Worlds’
- ‘Child of Two Worlds’, ‘Kneiffii’, var. dioicus
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- ‘Child of Two Worlds’
Short, sturdier - ‘Kneiffii’
Compact, less showy flowers - var. dioicus
- ‘Child of Two Worlds’
- ‘Child of Two Worlds’, ‘Kneiffii’, var. dioicus
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Aruncus
- Species:
- dioicus
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Native Americans used the ground root for various medical conditions.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North America, North Carolina
- Distribution:
- AK , AL , AR , CA , DC , GA , IA , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MO , MS , NC , NJ , NY , OH , OK , OR , PA , SC , TN , VA , WA , WV
- Fire Risk Rating:
- medium flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant is a larval host to Dusky Azure (Celastrina nigra) the caterpillars of which will appear from April to May. Adult Dusky Azure butterflies feed on flower nectar from plants like wild geranium. It is the host plant for the Dusky Azure butterfly. Attracts birds and other pollinators.
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- deer and rabbit damage
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herb
- Perennial
- Wildflower
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4b, 4a, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7b, 7a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Follicle
- Fruit Description:
- Tiny brown seed capsule from June to September on female plants with 2-4 seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Good Cut
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Description:
- Large panicle of showy, plume-like clusters of small, creamy-white flowers which rise above the foliage from May to June. The flowers have five oval-shaped petals: the stamens have long, slender filaments.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Doubly Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The dark green bi-pinnately compound leaves are 2-3 feet long. Leaflets are 2-4 inches long, lanceolate with doubly-serrate margins.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Pond
- Riparian
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rain Garden
- Water Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Rabbits
