Dark Knight Bluebeard

The Dark Knight Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Dark Knight') adds deep blue color and pleasant fragrance to your garden! Blooming in late summer when many other flowering plants have receded, this sturdy deciduous shrub will continue blooming until frost!

The aromatic gray-green foliage is lovely all spring and summer, and in late summer the stems transform into airy spires of lavender-blue! Forming in clusters at intervals along the flowering stems, the flower presentation resembles Salvia, Chaste trees, or herbs from the distance!

Hardy shrubs throughout USDA planting zones 5 to 9, the Bluebeard is sometimes known as the Blue Spirea, with its fizzy blooms resembling the Spiraea family. The slender, light foliage and puffy flowers create an airy texture in the landscape, growing just 2-3 feet tall and about 2 feet wide.

Planting and Application:

Dark Knight is a compact though prolific, this lovely variety layers well in larger gardens and creates dramatic solo effects in smaller urban spaces such as the rooftop, a small yard, or in courtyard gardens. Plant a row in the front of your Cottage garden to draw attention with a bank of color or plant in a cluster to draw attention to a central focal point!

Regardless of how and where you choose to place your Bluebeard, you'll find it attracts attention from butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects as well, making it an excellent choice for butterfly and pollinator garden designs.

Add several plants as "Thrillers" in big, colorful containers or half-whiskey barrels, anywhere in your landscape. They will perform beautifully on the pool deck or on either side of your entryway. Go as formal or informal as you'd like with these tidy and easy-care plants! Plant a long row along a hot dry sidewalk, in a Rock Garden, or as a low hedge near your patio and pathways!

• Lavender-Blue Flower Spires
• Mid-Summer to Fall Flowers
• Small, Mounding Low-Growing Shrub
• Aromatic Gray-Green Leaves
• Attracts Pollinators!
• Great In Containers, Edging, Beds & Borders, & Specimens

#ProPlantTips for Care:

This Bluebeard is a fast grower and prefers a full-sun location. Low water needs mean this variety can handle drought or drier conditions. A 3-4 inch deep layer of mulch around the base of the plants is a great idea to retain additional needed moisture. Plus, once established, they'll become drought-tolerant.

A deciduous shrub, but acting like a perennial in colder growing zones, where it dies back during the winter, but returns year after year, making it an excellent long-term investment! Pruning Bluebeard in early spring promotes blooms and longevity, and maintains the often preferred compact and mounded shape. It is best to prune your Caryopteris in early spring to reduce the size and prune off any winter-damaged branches.

• Full Sun & Some Shade
• Almost Any Well-Drained Soil Type
• Moderate Moisture Needs - Drought Tolerant Once Established
• Blooms On New Wood - Prune Early Spring
• Deer Seldom Bother These - Pest Resistant

Make the Dark Knight Bluebeard bush a welcome addition to your garden and create a summer-to-fall wildlife attraction. Order today at NatureHills.com to promote color and vibrance throughout the season!