Aruncus sp.
Goat's beard, Goat's Beard
(c) Megan Hansen, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Annual · Variable; species dependent
Aruncus sp. (Goat's beard) is a non-native California annual in the Rosaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Croton: Aruncus has white flower plumes and compound leaves; Croton has inconspicuous flowers and simple alternate leaves.; vs Atriplex: Aruncus has showy white flower plumes; Atriplex has inconspicuous greenish flowers and often scaly leaves.; vs Amaranthus: Aruncus has creamy flower plumes and compound leaves; Amaranthus has dense greenish spikes and simple leaves.; vs Soleirolia: Aruncus is 3-6 feet tall with large plumes; Soleirolia is a tiny mat-forming plant with minute leaves.; vs Cannabis: Aruncus has white flower plumes and double-toothed leaflets; Cannabis has greenish flowers and palmate leaves with single-toothed edges.
Frequently asked questions
Is Aruncus sp. native to California?
No. Aruncus sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Aruncus sp. belong to?
Aruncus sp. is in the Rosaceae family, genus Aruncus.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Aruncus dioicus var. acuminatus — Bride's feathers
- Cercocarpus betuloides — Birch leaf mountain mahogany
- Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides — Birch-leaf mountain-mahogany
- Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheae — Island mountain-mahogany
- Cercocarpus betuloides var. macrourus — Few flowered mountain mahogany
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.