Caryopteris clandonensis Heavenly Blue - Bluebeard

The Caryopteris (x) clandonensis 'Heavenly Blue' is a type of shrub that was recently developed. It is distinguishable from other types of shrubs by its vigorous growth and the vibrant blue-violet colour of its summer flowers, which form dense and fluffy-looking clusters. The plant grows upright and open, with deciduous dark greenish-grey foliage on the upper side and grey on the underside. If you crush the foliage, it smells like turpentine. This plant grows best in full sun and prefers well-drained or even dry soil. It is quite hardy and can be planted in a sunny flower bed, a large rock garden, or even in a small hedge.

The Caryopteris (x) clandonensis 'Heavenly Blue' is a hybrid plant that was created by crossing the Caryopteris incana, which is commonly known as 'Bluebeard', with the more resilient Caryopteris mongolica, found in colder regions of Mongolia and northern China. All of these plants belong to the Verbenaceae family.

The 'Heavenly Blue' plant is a dense bush that can grow up to 80 cm - 1 m in height and 70 - 80 cm in width. It blooms in August-September and produces fluffy, broad, dense inflorescences at the end of its branches. These inflorescences comprise countless small flowers with the most intense blue colour observed in caryopteris, with prominent stamens. This plant is beautiful to butterflies because of its nectar and honey, and it releases a powerful aroma with resinous notes when its small, thin, ovate leaves are crushed. The deciduous foliage is arranged opposite each other on straight stems and has irregularly dentated edges. The leaves are greyish-green, quite dark on the upper surface, while the lower surface is fuzzy and more greyish.

Caryopteris, also known as 'Heavenly Blue', is a shrub that can create low hedges. It does well in the company of other low-maintenance summer-flowering shrubs, such as yellow and orange potentillas, chamomiles, dwarf blue conifers, ceratostigma plumbaginoides, lavender, dwarf buddleias, and shrubby salvias. 

In late summer, caryopteris can be paired with sunflowers, evening primroses, Epilobium canum, Aster turbinellus, or other early-blooming asters to create a colourful scene. If you group three of these shrubs and surround them with vibrant perpetual roses, the result is a stunning display of complementary colours and styles that climaxes in September.