Dwarf Goat's Beard

Family: Rosaceae
(Rose Family)
Genus: Aruncus
Species: aethusifolius

Here’s a perky little plant that grows anywhere, stays tidy, provides three-season interest—and is absolutely unappealing to slugs. An herbaceous perennial, Aruncus aethusifolius disappears during the winter. Its fernlike, seriously green foliage—similar to that of the astilbe—emerges in the spring and is topped in May and early June by four-inch, waving panicles of tiny, cream-colored flowers. When grown in full sun, A. aethusifolius develops fine fall color, turning a rich, burnished red as the season progresses. The entire plant seldom grows taller than 12 inches.

This small Aruncus may come as a surprise to those who think of Goat’s Beard as a large, back-of-the border giant, towering to six feet with flower spikes that extend another three feet in mid to late summer. There are actually only two or three species in the Aruncus genus; and without going into the tedious taxonomic details, they can be described as large, medium, and very small. A. aethusifolius is the very small one. The largest form, first known as Aruncus aruncus, then as A. sylvester, and now as A. dioicus, is found worldwide. It is said to be native to North America, and in fact a horticulturist at Iowa State describes it as a plant native to Iowa woodlands. The species is quite common along roadsides and in woodlands here, as well. Named varieties such as A. dioicus ‘Kneiffii’ and A. dioicus ‘Zweiweltenkind’ are used to great effect in landscaping, usually in groups and typically at the back of the border or in the centers of large beds. These varieties have been developed for tidiness of habit and prominence of flower form, as well as for overall size. They are more in the medium-sized range.

Diminutive Aruncus aethusifolius is an Asian native. Quite hardy, it thrives in the northern parts of Korea and Japan. This naturally dwarf Goat’s Beard (or Goatsbeard, as it appears in European sources) can be placed at the very front of the border, where its finely cut foliage and appealing form can be seen close up. It is also very suitable for rock gardens and other special areas where plantings are all on a small scale.

Besides being well behaved, A. aethusifolius is quite undemanding. In our climate, it will be happy in full sun or part shade. Its preference is for moist, shady places; hence, it’s often included on lists of plants that will grow in such settings. So by all means, use it in your shade garden. But do remember that here in the Northwest, Aruncus will do just fine in full sun; and that’s where it will give you its best fall color. About the only thing these plants can’t tolerate is long spells of hot, dry weather—and you know, we don’t seem to have those very often!

A. aethusifolius is not subject to any diseases, and pests—even slugs!—don’t seem to have a taste for it at all. Grow it in good soil and feed it sparingly—and it will reward you with its fine form and tidy habits. As an extra boon, it can be divided every other fall so that in just a few years, you’ll have a whole flock of little Goatsbeards decorating the fronts of your borders.