Goat's beard is a native rhizomatous herbaceous perennial in the Rosaceae (rose) family that is found in damp, fertile woods, and mountainous areas of Eurasia and the US and Canada. The genus name Aruncus comes from the Greek word for goats beard. Goat's beard grows to a bushy 3 to 6 foot tall plant that makes a bold statement in the garden. Goat's beard prefers moist, fertile, organically rich soils that are not allowed to dry out in full sun to part shade. In warmer regions it prefers partial shade. It is best to give it protection from the hot afternoon sun in the southern portion of its growing range. Plant leaving 2 to 3 feet between plants, being aware it may take 2 to 3 seasons to fully mature. It is dioecious meaning it has 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. The blooms are feathery and astilbe-like, with finger-like projections, growing to a foot long. Some say the flowers resemble a goat's beard, hence the common name. Prune the plant back after it flowers to promote bushy growth. Propagate this plant by seed or divide in the early spring leaving at least one eye per cut section. . The flowers attract pollinators like butterflies and bees. Mass plant it in rain gardens, a cutting garden, along stream beds, or ponds. Place it at the back of a woodland perennial garden or along a slope where its showy flowers can be enjoyed from late spring to early summer. Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Goat's beard has some susceptibility sawflies and leaf spot.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | 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
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The dark green bi-pinnately compound leaves are 2-3 feet long. Leaflets are 2 to 4 inches long, lanceolate with doubly-serrate margins, the lower leaves are larger than the upper leaves.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Panicle; Raceme
Flower shape
Star
Flower detail
Separate male and female plants, males have shower flowers. Large 6" to 24" 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.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Follicle
Fruit detail
Tiny brown seed capsule from June to September on female plants with 2-4 seeds.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America, Eurasia, 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
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.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators; Songbirds
Play value
Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Follicle
Uses (ethnobotany)
Native Americans used the ground root for various medical conditions.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area; Pond; Riparian; Woodland
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Native Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rain Garden; Water Garden