goat's beard, bride's feathers Interesting Notes

Aruncus dioicus is found along moist streambeds and does best in dappled shade with sufficient moisture. The plant can grow 3-4’ tall with an almost 6 foot spread when happy. In areas above zone 7, Aruncus dioicus can take a fair amount of sun as long as it has consistent moisture. However, in the South, it prefers shade or else the heat will cause the plant to melt down mid-summer. Plant is dioecious with separate male and female plants – male plants are said to have fuller and more upright plumes of flowers while the female plants droop and sway as they bloom and extend the interest with seed.   

Goatsbeard grows along moist woodlands and along bluffs throughout the Appalachia and the Missouri River region. It prefers humus-rich, well-drained soil.

Grown as a shrubby midlayer in our shade gardens, this plant is slow to establish but provides excellent groundcover and interest when in bloom.

Aruncus dioicus hosts a wide variety of pollinators but for staminate flowers, short tongued bees and beetles dominate, taking nectar and pollen, while on pistillate flowers, wasps, bees, beetles, and flies suck the nectar. 

Aruncus dioicus Growing and Maintenance Tips

The best site is one in partial shade with moisture-retentive soil. In areas with cool summers, Aruncus can be grown in full sun. Aruncus dioicus has a large spread. It should be initially placed 4'-5' between plants to allow for mature spread and to save the labor required to transplant a large Aruncus. To propagate, division is a suitable method but it is hard work and the species rarely needs to be divided. Seed propagation can be done with cold moist stratification. -Steven Still, Manual of Herbaceous Ornamenal Plants