Aruncus
Aruncus dioicus
Cream-colored froth on a frame the size of a shrub — one of the few things that will properly fill a damp, shaded corner.
Spacing & sowing
- Plant spacing
- 3 ft 11 in
- In-row spacing
- 3 ft 11 in
- Between rows
- 4 ft 11 in
- Square-foot density
- Not suited to SFG
Growing
- Type
- Flower · Perennial
- Botanical family
- Mixed / other
- Sunlight
- Partial to full shade.
- Watering
- Keep it consistently moist.
- Feeding
- An annual mulch in spring is enough.
- Frost tolerant
- Yes
- Flowering
- June
- Pruning
- Cut it back twice — once after flowering, again in autumn.
- Overwintering
- Hardy; mulch the crown anyway for good measure.
Through the year
- Mar–Jun Spring Growth
- Jun–Aug Flowering
- Aug–Nov Growing
- Nov–Dec Leaf Fall
- Jan–Mar Leaf Fall
Pests & problems
Garden allies
Beneficial predators that hunt this plant's pests — grow their favourite flowers nearby to recruit them. companion plant
- Parasitic wasps Braconidae & TrichogrammaHunts Sawfly
Tiny, stingless wasps that lay eggs in or on caterpillars, aphids, and moth eggs — the white cocoons riding a hornworm are their calling card, so leave that caterpillar be. Umbel flowers with shallow nectar keep the adults fuelled.
- Spined soldier bug Podisus maculiventrisHunts Sawfly
A predatory stink bug — same shield outline as the pest, but with a sharp spine at each shoulder and a beak it uses to spear caterpillars and beetle grubs. Learn the spines before you squash a shield bug, because this one is on your side.
- Tachinid fly TachinidaeHunts Sawfly
Bristly, house-fly-lookalike parasitoids that lay eggs on caterpillars, beetle grubs, and earwigs — the maggot consumes the host from within. Adults sip nectar from shallow umbels and daisies.
The Cottage Garden Companion — the gardener's herbarium at cottagegardencompanion.com