Goat's-beard
Aruncus dioicus
Synonyms: Aruncus silvester, Actaea dioica
Western Herbalism Properties
Gallery
Botanical Description
Aruncus dioicus, goat’s-beard, is a tall, clump-forming herbaceous perennial in the family Rosaceae growing 1.2–1.8 m tall from a thick woody rootstock. The thin, stiff, upright stems bear large alternate pinnately to bipinnately compound leaves whose lance-ovate leaflets are sharply double-serrate. The species is dioecious, with male and female flowers borne on separate plants; both sexes produce showy plume-like terminal panicles of tiny five-petalled cream-white flowers in early to mid-summer, the staminate inflorescences fuller and more conspicuous than the pistillate. Small dry follicles ripen on the female plants. It has a wide circumboreal distribution, growing in moist deciduous and mixed woodland, streamsides and shaded ravines, often at higher elevations, across temperate Europe, Asia and North America. It favours humus-rich soils in partial shade but tolerates full sun where the soil stays consistently moist, and is widely grown as a bold shade-garden perennial.
Cultural & Historical Context
Traditional American Uses
Documented Native American uses include:
Cherokee — used as a dermatological aid, an eye medicine, a gynecological aid, an orthopedic aid, and a urinary aid (Hamel & Chiltoskey, 1975).
Thompson — widely used as a gastrointestinal aid and as remedies for colds, miscellaneous disease, dermatological complaints and orthopedic conditions (Turner et al., 1990; Steedman, 1928).
Bella Coola — used as an analgesic, an antidiarrheal, a diuretic, a gastrointestinal aid, a miscellaneous disease remedy and a venereal aid (Smith, 1929; Turner, 1973).
Makah — used as an antirheumatic (external), a dermatological aid, an internal medicine, a kidney aid, a venereal aid, and as a general unspecified medicine; the plant also yielded a dye (Gill, 1983; Gunther, 1973; Turner et al., 1983).
Kwakiutl — used as a cough medicine and as a love medicine (Boas, 1966; Turner & Bell, 1973).
Skagit — used as a cold remedy, a dermatological aid and a throat aid (Gunther, 1973).
Quileute — used as a dermatological aid and as a tonic (Gunther, 1973).
Quinault — used as a dermatological aid (Gunther, 1973).
Lummi — used as a dermatological aid and a miscellaneous disease remedy (Gunther, 1973).
Klallam — used as a dermatological aid (Gunther, 1973).
Nitinaht — used as a febrifuge and a miscellaneous disease remedy (Turner et al., 1983).
Tlingit — used as a blood medicine (Krause, 1956).
Haihais and Kitasoo — unspecified medicinal use (Compton, 1993).
Chemistry & External Identifiers
Important Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.