Plant Library

Other Names:  Bluebeard, Blue Spirea, Blue Mist Shrub

Brand:  Monrovia

Description:

A beautiful, airy shrub with bright, shiny yellow foliage in spring and summer, then complimented with blue flowers in later summer and early fall; foliage has fuzzy undersides and is fragrant when crushed; a true butterfly magnet for the garden

Ornamental Features

La Barbe Bleue™ Caryopteris features dainty cymes of royal blue flowers along the branches from late summer to mid fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has attractive yellow foliage with hints of light green. The fragrant narrow leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall color. The brick red stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

La Barbe Bleue™ Caryopteris is an open multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

La Barbe Bleue™ Caryopteris is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

La Barbe Bleue™ Caryopteris will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 3 feet apart. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

La Barbe Bleue™ Caryopteris makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.