Goat's beard

Aruncus dioicus

Aruncus dioicus (Walt.) (known as goat's beard, buck's-beard or bride's feathers) is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the family Rosaceae, and is the type species of the genus Aruncus. It has alternate, pinnately compound leaves, on thin, stiff stems, with plumes of feathery white or cream flowers borne in summer. This plant can be found in moist woodland, often at higher altitudes, throughout temperate areas of Europe, Asia, and eastern and western North America. In the UK it is considered suitable for planting in and around water areas, and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

In Italy the young shoots are eaten, usually boiled briefly in herb infused water, and then cooked with eggs and cheese. In Friuli it is one of the ingredients in the local home-made soup based on wild greens called 'pistic'.

Aruncus dioicus var. kamtschaticus has shown potent cytotoxicity against Jurkat T cells.

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