WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Aruncus dioicus, WUCOLS IV

How often to water goat's beard in California

In July on the north-central coast, established goat's beard in loam needs a deep watering about every 9 days: about 1.5 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.1 gallons a week. Goat's beard is a large, bushy perennial that rises from rhizomes to 3 to 6 feet, with big, fernlike compound leaves. In late spring it sends up feathery plumes of tiny creamy white flowers, showier on male plants. It wants moist, rich soil and, in warm regions, partial shade, so steady water through summer matters.

PerennialRated for 2 of 6 zones

How often to water goat's beard, month by month

Your city
Plant width
2 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for goat's beard and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1 foot of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 2 inches down around the clump means goat's beard needs water
  • Leaf edges browning and crisping in summer heat point to dry soil or too much sun
  • Leaflets eaten down to the veins point to sawfly larvae rather than a watering problem
  • Brown spots spreading across the leaves suggest leaf spot, which wet foliage can encourage
  • Yellowing leaves and a soft crown in standing water point to soil that drains too poorly

How to water it

  • Water goat's beard at the base of the clump with a soaker, keeping the leaves dry
  • Moisten the soil 8 to 10 inches deep, then water again before the top two inches dry out
  • Plant in moist, fertile, organically rich loam in partial shade, especially inland
  • Spread a thick layer of compost or leaf mold over the root zone to hold moisture
  • Widen the soaker as the clump expands toward its 2 to 4 foot spread

Through the seasons

Keep a new goat's beard evenly moist through its first summer while the clump establishes, which takes two to three seasons. Established plants still need moist soil through spring and summer. Plumes open in late spring and early summer, and cutting back after flowering keeps the clump bushy. The top dies back in winter, so water needs drop until spring growth. WUCOLS rates goat's beard moderate water on the north-central coast and the south coast. It marks goat's beard as not suited to South Inland. The Central Valley, the high desert and the low desert have not been evaluated.

In pots

Goat's beard is a big plant for a pot, so choose a large, deep container with drainage holes and a rich, moisture-holding mix. Check the top 2 inches every few days in warm weather and water before it dries out, since this perennial needs moist soil. Let the excess drain, then empty the saucer. Keep the pot in partial shade. After the top dies back in winter, water only enough to keep the mix lightly damp.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
Not ratedWUCOLS does not rate Goat's Beard for the Central Valley zone
A year
no figure
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses

WUCOLS lists Goat's Beard as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Goat's Beard: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.78–––
Feb0.53–0.81–––
Mar0.87–1.15–––
Apr1.18–1.4–––
May1.46–1.61–––
Jun1.61–1.74–––
Jul1.61–1.98–––
Aug1.49–1.86–––
Sep1.24–1.49–––
Oct0.87–1.15–––
Nov0.47–0.84–––
Dec0.31–0.65–––
Year12–15.5–––

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated not evaluated in the Central Valley, like goat's beard. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Lilyleaf LadybellsAdenophora liliifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingArnicaArnica montananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFrilly BergeniaBergenia ciliatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCabbage on a StickBrighamia insignisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBasket PlantCallisia fragransnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingForest SedgeCarex sylvaticanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingUmbrella DracaenaDianella ensifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRusty FoxgloveDigitalis ferrugineanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBig-Flowered FoxgloveDigitalis grandifloranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWoolly FoxgloveDigitalis lanatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSunset FoxgloveDigitalis obscuranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMale FernDryopteris filix-masnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAlpine Sea HollyEryngium alpinumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPurple SpurgeEuphorbia dulcisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingQueen of the MeadowFilipendula ulmarianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingDropwortFilipendula vulgaris (Filipendula hexapetala)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes goat's beard, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How much water does goat's beard need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established goat's beard needs about 0.2 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.7 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for goat's beard change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates goat's beard separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the South Inland zone, not evaluated in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not evaluated in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Why are some goat's beard plumes fluffier than others?

Plants are male or female, and male flowers are showier because they carry many stamens. Female plumes look thinner. Watering does not change which you have.

Can goat's beard grow in full sun?

It can in cool climates, but in warmer regions it prefers partial shade. In sun the soil dries faster and leaves can scorch, so give it afternoon shade inland.

Should I cut back goat's beard after it flowers?

Yes. Pruning after flowering keeps the plant bushy. Keep watering through summer, since the leaves stay up until fall.

Do deer eat goat's beard?

It is notably resistant to deer and rabbits. Chewed leaves are more likely the work of sawfly larvae. Neither problem calls for extra water.

Can you overwater goat's beard?

It likes moist soil and suits rain gardens, but it still needs some drainage. Water that stands around the crown for days can harm it.

More plant watering guides

Umbrella BambooBlue Fountain BambooQueen of the MeadowDropwortPrickly HeathGentianOtterbossieChilean Rhubarb

Sources