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Goatsbeard
Aruncus dioicus
Goatsbeard blooms from June through July.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Goatsbeard
Plant it in part shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–7. Expect it to reach about 3.9 ft tall and 3.3 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years.
When to plant Goatsbeard
Plant Goatsbeard in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 7 range, spring means April to June and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from June to July.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 5 in April.
Good to know about Goatsbeard
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
Male and female plants are separate, and the males are showier: their plumes are fuller and last about four weeks longer, so buy male plants for the best show. per NC State and Arkansas
Are the seeds toxic?
The plant is regarded non-toxic to people and pets, but one source calls the ripe seed capsules on female plants poisonous, so keep that seed away from children. per NC State and Wisconsin
Zone range varies by source
Sources give 3 to 7, 3 to 8, or 4 to 8. The cold end is reliably 3; heat and humidity, not cold, limit the warm end. per NC State and Missouri Botanical
Looks like a giant astilbe
Reads like a shrub-sized giant astilbe: mounds of ferny, divided foliage topped by large, feathery plumes of tiny creamy-white flowers held well above the leaves. per NC State
Moisture controls sun tolerance
Moisture controls how much sun it can take: it tolerates full sun in the cool north only if kept constantly wet, and needs more shade in the hot south. per NC State and Wisconsin
Host for a native butterfly
A North American native and the larval host for the Dusky Azure butterfly (Celastrina nigra); the plumes also feed bees, butterflies and moths. per NC State and Wildflower Center
Hard to move once established
Long-lived but slow: give it 2 to 3 seasons to reach full size. Established plants are very hard to transplant, so pick the spot and leave it. per Wisconsin and NC State
What pairs well with Goatsbeard
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Primrose
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Hellebore
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in late winter, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; lower at 1.3 ft, for the front of the border.
Lungwort
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 12 in, for the front of the border.
Lobelia
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border; overlaps, then carries the display into early fall; both offer pollinator forage.
Pansy
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border; a soft color beside the orange.
Eastern Redbud
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 23 ft, for the layer behind it.
Flowering Dogwood
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; taller at 23 ft, for the layer behind it; both are native plants.
Azalea
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; a soft color beside the orange.
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