‘Dark Knight’ Blue Mist Shrub

Caryopteris × clandonensis ‘Dark Knight’

Other Names: Bluebeard, Blue Mist Shrub, Blue Spirea

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Deciduous Shrub

Height at Maturity: 3-4” in ground, 24-36″ in containers

Width at Maturity: 3-4′
Spacing: 30-36″ for solid hedges; 7′ for space between

Growth Habit / Form: Upright Rounded Bush

Growth Rate: Fast

Flower Color: Deep Blue-Purple

Flower Size: Small in Showy Clusters

Flowering Period: Mid to Late Summer into Fall

Flower Type: Single in Clusters

Fragrant Flowers: Yes

Foliage Color: Grey-Green

Fragrant Foliage: Yes

Berries: No

Berry Color: No

Sun Needs: Full to Mostly Sun; minimum of 6 hours direct sunlight per day

Water Needs: Average, Low when established

Soil Type: Clay (amend heavy clay to ensure good drainage), Loam, Sand, Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well Drained; tolerates drought when established

Soil pH: 6.5 – 7.5 (Neutral)

Maintenance / Care: Low

Attracts: Butterflies, Beneficial Pollinators, Hummingbirds, Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer, Disease, Drought (when established), Dry Soil, Heat, Humidity, Insect, Rabbit

Description

When there is little else blooming in the garden in late summer and early fall, this flowering perennial shrub is there to delight us, and the butterflies. The common name Blue Mist refers to its fluffy, cloudlike flowers. ‘Dark Knight’ features fragrant dark blue-purple nectar-rich flowers that the butterflies, hummingbirds and other beneficial pollinators will enjoy as a late season snack. This light airy shrub quickly reaches an average size of 3 to 4 feet tall and wide with attractive, fragrant, grey-green leaves. A sensory charmer in smaller garden spaces or large containers, or in groupings or as a colorful hedge in larger spaces. This beauty is tolerant of drought, resistant to pest and disease, and is seldom browsed by deer.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing to around 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, the ‘Dark Knight’ Blue Mist Shrub is ideal for use as an accent, in groupings or as a hedge to add pleasing color and texture in landscape borders and perennial gardens. It is also useful as a centerpiece in large containers. A fine addition to butterfly and hummingbird gardens, beneficial pollinator gardens, cottage gardens, fragrance gardens, blue or purple theme gardens, and the Xeriscape (low water needs).

Suggested Spacing: 30-36″ for solid hedges or mass plantings; 7′ for space between

Cultural Preferences

Blue Mist Shrub is easy to grow in most any moist and loamy but well-drained soils of average fertility and full to mostly sun, however is very drought tolerant when established. Constantly soggy or wet soils can be problematic. It flowers on new growth so is best pruned if necessary in late winter or early spring, which will create more new growth resulting in more flowers. In cold climates below zone 6 the stems will die back to the ground with new growth emerging from the base of the plant in spring.

Note: Find helpful advice under the Planting & Care tab above on desktop computer monitors or below on mobile devices.

Plant Long & Prosper!

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