September Shrub of the Month-Blue mist shrub
It’s the type of shrub you see in a magazine or catalog and want to try immediately. With a coveted blue color rarely found in the garden, let alone in a late-season bloomer, blue mist shrub, when in bloom starting mid-summer, resembles lavender on steroids with a rounded habit and blue-violet flowers.
Caryopteris × clandonensis is a hybrid of C. incana and C. mongholica. Although not native, blue mist shrub is a great pollinator plant attracting scores of bees, butterflies, and other insects. Blue mist insists on well-drained soil and full sun conditions, where it’s extremely drought-resistant once established.
I see this plant in harsh conditions thrive with neglect; however…in St. Louis, it looks better after a good hard prune in spring instead of letting last year’s unsightly dead branches remain. I treat Caryopteris like a butterfly bush or crape myrtle, trimming it to the ground every spring or at least waiting until the leaves emerge, then trimming all other branches off to that point. The result is a neat, rounded habit and gorgeous flowers that aren’t blocked and blighted by dead stems.
Dwarf cultivars are available, as are pink or white-flowering varieties. Check your tags and research before purchasing. ‘Worchester Gold’ is a cultivar with golden, chartreuse-colored leaves instead of the standard silvery-grey. Blue mist shrub can make an excellent deciduous hedge or a great addition to the mixed border.
What I love about this plant;
-That soft, blue-violet color!
-The classic rounded shape.
-The late-season bloom-time.
-Good pollinator plant.
-Drought tolerant
-Aromatic foliage with a silvery-grey that plays well with other colors in the mixed border, especially ornamental grasses!
-Deer resistant.
What’s not so great;
-Usually requires a spring clean-up/hard-prune of the dead wood, especially after a hard winter. Treat it like a butterfly bush or crape myrtle and trim after leaves emerge, or trim down to the ground every spring-it will still flower!
-Well-drained soil and full sun are a MUST. Partial shade will result in lop-sided habits and low flower production.
-When I say, ‘good pollinator plant’, that includes bees and other stinging insects. If you have bee allergies, it might not be great right next to your patio or the kid’s swing set, but please don’t let the presence of bees, etc., deter you from adding pollinator plants to your landscape or garden. Just be mindful of placement.
Comments or questions? Email Garden-Lou at gardenloustl@gmail.com
Words and photos by Jo Batzer
© Jo Batzer, garden-lou.com-2023, All rights reserved.
