Fairy Hair Goat's Beard: Lacy Cream Plumes for Small Shade Spots

Fairy Hair goat's beard is a smaller goat's beard made for tucking into shade garden spaces. Its leaves are cut so finely that they look almost like needles, giving the plant a whimsical, lacy texture, yet they form a thick, substantial clump about 2 feet tall and wide. In early June, upright triangular plumes of tiny cream flowers rise just above the foliage and age to a warm tan.

It looks a lot like astilbe and wants similar conditions: rich, moist soil and shade. That puts it in a woodland or shade bed, not beside lavender.

Fairy Hair at a glance

Where it fits in a lavender garden plan

Fairy Hair is a companion for the shady side of the property. Use it with hostas, ferns and astilbe in a woodland bed, along a shaded walk or in a container on a cool porch. Its feathery texture is the shade-garden version of lavender's fine silver foliage: it keeps a planting of big, bold hosta leaves from looking heavy.

Because it is so compact, it works where full-size goat's beard would be too big, like the front of a shade border or a narrow strip beside the house. Map the sun and shade zones of your yard in the Companion Plant Planner.

Planting and care

• Soil: fertile, humus-rich and evenly moist, with good drainage.
• Light: shade or part shade is easiest. In full sun it needs extra water and stays a little shorter.
• Water: keep it moist, especially in summer heat. Once established it handles dry spells better than astilbe.
• Patience: it grows slowly the first couple of years, then fills out.
• Siting: established plants are hard to move, so pick a permanent spot.
• Pests: sawfly larvae occasionally chew the leaves; leaf spot can appear.

It is very hardy in Michigan without protection. Cut the foliage back in late fall or early spring.

Plumes for drying

The plumes dry well. Cut them when fully open, or leave them on the plant, where they turn tan and add texture well into fall. Dried goat's beard plumes pair nicely with dried lavender bundles for a soft, neutral arrangement. Bees visit the fresh flowers in June.

About the plug tray

Fairy Hair is offered as a 72-cell plug tray, a good fit for growers and larger shade plantings. See the product page for current availability.

Frequently asked questions

How is goat's beard different from astilbe?

They look similar, but goat's beard is a different plant. Fairy Hair handles dry spells better than astilbe once established and has especially fine, lacy leaves.

Is it hardy in Michigan?

Yes. It is rated for zones 3 to 7 and needs no winter protection here.

Will deer eat it?

Deer tend to leave it alone.

Keep exploring

• Fairy Hair Goat's Beard 72-Cell Plug Tray
• Companion Plant Library
• Companion Plant Planner
• Cut Flower Planner