Plant Library

Other Names:  Bluebeard, Blue Spirea, Blue Mist Shrub

Description:

A beautiful, airy shrub with bright golden leaves in spring and summer, then accented with blue flowers in late summer and fall; foliage has fuzzy undersides and is fragrant when crushed; a true butterfly magnet for the garden

Ornamental Features

Gold Crest Caryopteris features dainty cymes of royal blue flowers along the branches from late summer to mid fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has attractive gold foliage with hints of light green. The fuzzy oval leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall color. The brick red stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Gold Crest Caryopteris is an open multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Gold Crest Caryopteris is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Gold Crest Caryopteris will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 3 feet apart. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Gold Crest Caryopteris makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.