Aruncus dioicus (Goatsbeard)
$8.00
Out of stock
Size: 4-6’ tall / 2-4’ wide
Sun: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil: Moist, Fertile, Rich
Bloom Time: Early to Mid-Summer
Deer Resistance: 2/5
Ecotype: Unknown
Goatsbeard is a tall, lush perennial that enjoys moist soil. While it prefers part sun to part shade, it can handle full sun as well, so long as the soil remains damp. It's height adds structure to a garden and makes it a good choice for the back of a bed in a shadier spot. If sited well, it will reward you with a bounty of large, yellowish-white, plume-like flowers. Goatsbeard is dioecious-- meaning each plant has either female or male flowers-- and both male and female flowers are appealing in their own way. Male flowers are showier with yellow anthers, and female flowers produce attractive seedheads that persist after the flowers fade.
When in bloom, Goatsbeard is a pollinator magnet, attracting native bees, hoverflies, beetles, and some butterflies, and it is the only larval host plant for the Dusky Azure butterfly. Small songbirds will eat the seeds. Deer will browse the leaves, so be sure to provide protection if you have deer pressure.