''Aruncus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

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 ...

perennial plants in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus '' Rosa''. The family includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. Most species are deciduous, but som ...

. Botanical opinion of the number of

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

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 plant, 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 '' Spiraea'', and are native to mountainous damp woodland in

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

regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Creamy white plumes of flowers are produced above veined and toothed leaflets. *'' Aruncus dioicus'' (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 precisely 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 a ...

or varieties of it by some botanists. *'' Aruncus aethusifolius'' (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 ...

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

. *'' Aruncus gombalanus'' (Yunnan goatsbeard) occurs in the mountains of northwest Yunnan and adjacent Tibet. *'' Aruncus sylvester'' (Asian goatsbeard) covers the widespread Asian forms of ''A. dioicus''. '' Tragopogon'' is also known as "goatsbeard" but is not closely related.

Cultivation

Goatsbeard does well in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 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