For goat’s beard to thrive, it requires humus-rich soil that doesn’t dry out in summer. Be sure to enhance the soil with lots of organic matter at planting time and make sure that the soil is well moistened before adding mulch to hold in moisture. Water well during summer dry spells. Staking isn’t necessary except in areas that get hit with frequent torrential downpours when the plant is in bloom. Maintenance is easy—remove spent blossoms and cut down the plant when it dies back in late fall.
Goat’s beard has been warmly welcomed into many shady gardens because of its huge, feathery plumes of creamy white flowers. Like its relative astilbe (see pages 138 to 141), it is equally happy in full sun, but only where summers are not too hot and the soil is consistently moist throughout the growing season. In its native habitat, goat’s beard even grows in wet, marshy areas, so it is almost impossible to overwater it in your garden. Like its stubborn namesake, the mature plant requires a backhoe or dynamite to force it out of the ground; it is best left where first established.
ZONES: 4–9
BLOOM TIME: Early summer
LIGHT: Part shade
HEIGHT: 4–6 feet
INTEREST: Attractive, fernlike pale green foliage and spectacular plumes of creamy white flower
Goat’s beard is a large plant that requires lots of room. This elegant plant will grace any property that has high shade in the afternoon—under tall trees, at the north side of a tall shrub, or in a woodland garden. Its stately presence is wonderful in the back of a border where, as it matures, it will dominate its neighbors for several weeks. It sets off other tall plants such as delphiniums (don’t keep the soil wet around these plants, though!) and provides a foil for herbaceous peonies, the real showoffs of the plant world. For a more subtle and refined combination, plant Siberian iris in front of goat’s beard.