Caryopteris × clandonensis 'Dark Knight'
Common: blue mist shrub, bluebeardCaryopteris 'Dark Knight' LP32 - 32 per flat
- Height: 2'-3'
- Spread: 2'-3'
- Spacing: 24"
- Hardiness Zone(s): 5-9
Plant Details
Blue mist shrub is aptly named as its gray-green foliage is shrouded in a cloud of blue from mid to late summer. It is a well-behaved garden plant that is very attractive to butterflies. 'Dark Knight' has deep purple blue flowers closely spaced on long stems.
Characteristics & Attributes
Exposure
- Full Sun
- Part Sun
Soil Moisture Needs
- Average
Plug Type
- Landscape Plug™
For Animals
- Pollinator-friendly
- Deer Resistant
Attributes
- Cut Flower
- Drought Tolerant
- Ornamental Foliage
Season of Interest (Flowering)
- Summer
- Late Summer
Propagation Type
- Vegetative
Care & Maintenance
Caryopteris needs full sun and a light, well-drained soil. Avoid heavy, wet, clay-type soils. It flowers on new growth, so prune in early spring to ensure heavy flowering. It is somewhat tolerant of drought, but will not survive in saturated soils. Propagate by softwood terminal cuttings. Best used as a specimen, in foundation plantings or in perennial borders for late season color. Tolerates a little shade.
Interesting Notes
Caryopteris × clandonensis ‘Dark Knight’ is a wonderful late season pollinator plant—luring bees and butterflies from miles around and providing nectar from August to October. Well-behaved and growing 2’-3’ tall and 2’-3’ wide, blue mist shrub earns its name from its gray-green foliage shrouded in a cloud of blue flowers when it blooms. The flowers are beautiful and long-lasting for cut flower arrangements and the spent blooms and foliage are just as lovely for filler. ‘Dark Knight’ is notable for its profuse deep purple blue flowers closely spaced on long stems.
Caryopteris × clandonensis is a hybrid between two Asiatic species of C. incana and C. mongholica, originating from the Himalayas and East Asia. An easy to grow plant that prefers full sun in average, well-draining soil, Caryopteris can tolerate periods of drought and may experience crown rot if allowed to sit in water-logged soil. In colder zones, bluebeard should be given a hard prune in late spring as tips will experience winter dieback. Blooms occur on new wood and hard pruning doesn’t affect bud set. Considered a subshrub with herbaceous stems coming from woody center, roots are hardy to zone 5 while branches are hardy to zone 7.
We love Caryopteris because of its performance in leaner, drier soils and are happy to use them en masse in the garden for late season impact or in a container as a formal statement piece. ‘Dark Knight’ has deep colored blossoms and it’s a joy watching all the pollinator activity late in the season. It is extremely resistant to herbivory by deer and rabbits due to its fragrant foliage.