Blue Mist Spirea / Bluebeard

Caryopteris × clandonensis

Cultivars: 'Dark Knight', 'Heavenly Blue', 'Blue Mist'

Bluebeard is a compact flowering shrub valued for its late-summer blue blooms, a rare color in the shrub world and a big advantage for seasonal sequencing. It forms a small, tidy mound with gray-green foliage, then erupts into clouds of blue flowers when many shrubs are fading. In the landscape it’s excellent near walkways, patios, and mixed borders where you want late-season color and pollinator activity. It pairs well with ornamental grasses, silver foliage plants, and warm-toned perennials, and it’s a strong choice for sunny, water-wise beds that still need bloom impact.

Plant Characteristics
Genus
Caryopteris
Species
Caryopteris × clandonensis
Cultivar
‘Dark Knight’, ‘Heavenly Blue’, ‘Blue Mist’
Family
Lamiaceae
Plant Characteristics
Flowering
Fragrant
Plant Color
blue-green
Flower Color
blue, purple
Bloom Time
Mid to Late Summer
Height
2-4'
Width
1-3'
Water Use
Low
Care Instructions

Bluebeard performs best in full sun and well-drained soil. It has low to medium water needs once established and dislikes heavy, wet soils, especially in winter. Bluebeard blooms on new wood and often experiences winter dieback in colder climates, so spring pruning is standard maintenance: in early spring, cut it back to 6 to 12 inches (or to healthy buds) to promote dense new growth and maximize flowering. Fall dieback cutback is not recommended, leaving stems in place through winter helps protect the crown and reduces freeze damage. Mulch lightly in fall to buffer temperature swings, and water occasionally during dry winters if the soil is bone dry and unfrozen.