Goat’s beard

Goat’s beard: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Large, upright clump 1.5–2 m tall and 1–1.2 m wide.

Leaves

Large, two or three times pinnate with toothed leaflets; fresh green, yellow in autumn.

Flower

Plumes 30–50 cm long with hundreds of tiny flowers, in June–July. Male and female flowers are on separate plants.

Colour

Creamy white; male plumes are fuller and whiter, female ones greener and more drooping.

Fruit

Only female plants form small seed capsules, which turn brown in autumn.

Roots

A woody, deep rootstock that becomes large and tough over the years.

Flowering: June–July · Plants: March–April and October · Pruning: March and July

Why grow it?

• A stately focal point of 1.5–2 m for partial and full shade.
• Large, creamy white plumes in June–July, especially full and airy on male plants.
• Bees and other insects visit the flowers.
• Attractive, fern-like leaves that often turn yellow in autumn.
• Fully hardy and very long-lived: it only gets better with the years.

Goat’s beard: where does it grow best?

• Partial or light shade; in full sun only if the soil always stays moist.
• Humus-rich, fertile loam or clay, from slightly acid to chalky.
• Normally moist to wet: it does well beside a pond or stream.
• Allow 1–1.2 m per plant; it takes a few years to reach full size.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal or wet

Size

1.8 m tall, 1.2 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -35 °C)

Goes well with

• Hosta: Large leaves at its feet, in the same moist partial shade.
• Ferns: A fine, green underplanting that loves shade just as much.
• Astilbe: Shorter plumes in pink and red, in the same moist soil.
• Bugbane: White spires later in summer, when the goat’s beard has finished.

Goat’s beard: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October.

1. Plant in March–April or in October.
2. Dig a generous hole, twice as wide as the pot, and mix in a few spadefuls of compost or leaf mould.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot and firm the soil well.
4. Keep 1–1.2 m away from other plants: moving it later is difficult.
5. Water in thoroughly straight away and keep the soil moist during the first year.
6. Spread a thick layer of leaf mould around the base.

Care

Water

Never let it dry out. Water thoroughly in dry spells, especially in the first years.

Feeding

A layer of compost or well-rotted manure in spring.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould in spring keeps the soil cool and moist.

Spent plumes

Cut them off after flowering, especially on female plants, which otherwise self-seed. Or leave them if you like the brown plumes.

Support

Not needed: the stems are sturdy enough.

Tip: Place it in front of a dark background, such as a hedge or an evergreen shrub: the creamy plumes will then light up the shade.

Goat’s beard: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and July.

When: After flowering, in July, cut off the plumes. Remove the old stems and dead leaves in March.

How:

• Cut the spent plumes off just above the leaves.
• Leave the leaves until they turn yellow and die back in autumn.
• In March, cut the old stems off just above the ground, before the new shoots appear.

Caution: If you do not want seedlings, cut the plumes off female plants before the seed ripens.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March or October: cut or saw a piece with buds off the woody rootstock and replant it straight away. On old plants this is hard work; young clumps divide more easily.

Seed

Sow the fine seed from female plants in a pot in autumn or spring and barely cover it. Seedlings turn out male or female.

Goat’s beard: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −35 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −35 °C: in Belgium no protection is needed.
• The top growth dies back and the plant sprouts again in spring.
• Leave the stems until March: they mark the spot and protect the rootstock.

Diseases and pests

• Sawflies: Larvae that strip the leaves in no time, often in May–June. Pick them off by hand; the plant usually regrows.
• Scorched leaves: Brown, dried leaf edges in sun and drought. Water, mulch the soil and choose a shadier spot when planting.
• Slugs: They eat the young shoots in spring. Pick them off in the evening.
• Seedlings: Female plants self-seed. Cut the plumes off in time or weed out the seedlings while small.

Through the year

• March: Cut down old stems. Give compost. Plant.
• April: Plant. New shoots appear; watch for slugs.
• May: Apply mulch. Watch for sawflies.
• June: Flowering begins. Water in dry spells.
• July: Flowering. Cut off spent plumes.
• August: Water in dry spells.
• October: Plant or divide. Yellow autumn colour.
• November: The leaves die back; leave the stems standing.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The species name dioicus means ‘dioecious’: male and female flowers grow on separate plants.
• It looks very much like a giant astilbe, but it is related to the rose, not to astilbe.
• The name goat’s beard refers to the long, beard-like plumes.