Grandiflora
Family
Verbenaceae
Botanical Name
CARYOPTERIS x clandonensis 'Dark Knight'
Plant Common Name
Blue Mist Shrub, Blue Spirea, Bluebeard, Dark Knight Bluebeard
General Description
The beautiful bluebeard, ‘Dark Knight’, offers amazing deep violet-blue flowers in fall. This vigorous small flowering shrub is as tough and drought tolerant as it is pretty. The hybrid originates from a cross between the two Asian species Caryopteris incana and C. mongholica.
The deciduous shrub has a mounding, rounded habit and becomes covered with many small gray-green toothed leaves that have a minty scent if crushed. In the fall, the leafy stems become lined with many colorful whorls of flowers. These are rich violet-blue, draw pollinators in masses and are sweetly scented. The fruits are small, winged and have seeds that will readily sprout in the garden.
Plant bluebeard in sites with full to partial sun and average soil with good drainage. It is root-hardy to USDA Zone 5 where it will resprout from the ground in the spring. In warmer areas, it should be hard-pruned low to the ground after flowering to keep next year's growth compact and neat. It makes a nice accent plant in the mixed border and looks great planted in rows as a low ornamental summer hedge.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
6 - 9
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Sunset Zone
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Shrub
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
2'-3' / 0.6m - 0.9m
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Width
2'-3' / 0.6m - 0.9m
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Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall
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Native To
Hybrid Origin
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Neutral
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Soil Drainage
Well Drained
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Soil type
Loam
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Tolerances
Drought
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Growth Rate
Fast
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Water Requirements
Drought Tolerant
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Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming
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Seasonal Interest
Summer, Fall
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
Blue Violet
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Fruit Color
Gray Green
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Gray Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Gray Green, Silver
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Gray Green, Silver
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Bark Color
Sandy Brown
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Fragrant Flowers
Yes
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
Yes
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
Yes
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
No
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Foliage Sheen
Matte
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Evergreen
No
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Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
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Bark Texture
Smooth
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Usage
Cutflower, Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
Sometimes
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Attracts
Butterflies
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Self-Sowing
Yes
