Plant of the Month: Aruncus dioicus, Goat’s Beard, Bride’s Feathers Rosaceae (Rose) Family Illustration and article by Erin Savoy Edited by Samantha Elie Goat’s Beard or Bride’s Feathers (Aruncus dioicus) is a native perennial herb that grows upright and spreads by rhizomes forming bushy clumps. They sport several smooth stems that can grow up to 6ft tall and bear twice or thrice-pinnately compound leaves that tend to diminish in size the higher they are borne on the stem. The leaflets are somewhere between ovate to oblong-lanceolate in shape, coming to a point with margins that are sharply twice-serrated. High above those leaves are feathery clusters of tiny white-cream colored flowers that grow on long branched spikes, resembling skeletal fingers. This plant is dioecious, so the male and female flowers are presented on separate plants. The females have 3 reflexed carpels surrounded by 5 petals, while the males have 15-20…
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Swamp Gooseberry – Ribes lacustre
PLANT OF THE MONTH Ribes lacustre (Black Swamp Gooseberry) This gooseberry is a member of the Ribes family, and can be found throughout temperate regions of North America all the…
Read More!Mock Orange – Philadelphus lewisii
Mock orange grows wild from Southern British Columbia to Northern California and east to Montana, but is possibly better known for its use in landscaping. This hardy shrub produces blooms…
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