''Aruncus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of clump-forming

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

perennial plants A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are ''Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...

. Botanical opinion of the number of

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

differs, with from one to four species accepted. They are closely related to the genera ''

Filipendula ''Filipendula'' is a genus of 12 species of perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Well-known species include meadowsweet (''Filipendula ulmaria'') and dropwort ( ...

'' and ''

Spiraea ''Spiraea'' , sometimes spelled spirea in common names, and commonly known as meadowsweets or steeplebushes, is a genus of about 80 to 100 species

'', and are native to mountainous damp woodland in

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Creamy white plumes of flowers are produced above veined and toothed leaflets. *''

Aruncus dioicus ''Aruncus dioicus'', known as goat's beard, buck's-beard or bride's feathers, is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the family Rosaceae, found in Europe, Asia, and eastern and western North America. It is the type species of the genus '' ...

'' (goatsbeard) occurs throughout the cooler parts of Europe, Asia and North America. In the broad sense, this is the only species in the genus, with the species below treated as

synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

varieties Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

of it by some botanists. *''

Aruncus aethusifolius ''Aruncus sylvester'', the goat's beard, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, found from the Himalayas to the Russian Far East and Japan. As its synonym ''Aruncus aethusifolius'' it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's ...

'' (dwarf goatsbeard or Korean goatsbeard) has a restricted range, limited to Korea. This species appears in cultivation, and has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. *'' Aruncus gombalanus'' (Yunnan goatsbeard) occurs in the mountains of northwest Yunnan and adjacent Tibet. *''

Aruncus sylvester ''Aruncus sylvester'', the goat's beard, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, found from the Himalayas to the Russian Far East and Japan. As its synonym ''Aruncus aethusifolius'' it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's ...

'' (Asian goatsbeard) covers the widespread Asian forms of ''A. dioicus''. ''

Tragopogon ''Tragopogon'', also known as goatsbeard or salsify, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It includes the vegetable known as salsify, as well as a number of common wild flowers. Salsifies are forbs growing as biennial or per ...

'' is also known as "goatsbeard" but is not closely related.

Cultivation

Goatsbeard does well in

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

4–9 in almost any soil, in sun, or light shade. Set plants approximately 18 – 24 inches apart. To get new plants, divide clumps in spring or fall; otherwise clumps can remain undisturbed indefinitely. Aruncus aesthusifolius

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q157900 Spiraeeae Rosaceae genera