Caryopteris La Barbe Bleue Is Colorful in Leaf and Flower
La Barbe Bleue bluebeard provides bright blue flowers from late summer to early fall.
Virtues: La Barbe Bleue bluebeard provides bright blue flowers from late summer to early fall. This compact, leafy perennial has bright yellow-green foliage that creates a great backdrop for the vivid blue flowers. It is drought tolerant and easy to care for.
Common name: La Barbe Bleue bluebeard
Botanical name: Caryopteris x'SMCIPG' or La Barbe Bleue
Exposure: Full sun
Flowers: Clusters of very bright blue flowers appear at the tips of leafy upright stems from late summer into early fall. Prominent blue stamens give the flowers a fuzzy look.
Foliage: The narrow, scallop-edged leaves are bright gold when they emerge in spring. Over the summer they mellow to a golden green that remains a bright spot in the garden and provides beautiful contrast to the blue flowers when they appear in later summer and autumn.
Habit: This bluebeard grows to a compact 36 inches tall and 30 inches wide.
Origin: Caryopteris is a genus whose members are native to Eastern Asia. La Barbe Bleue is a hybrid selection that was introduced by Monrovia in 2018.
How to grow it: Site Caryopteris La Barbe Bleue in full sun and fertile soil with good drainage. It is drought tolerant once established, but give it water during dry spells in its first year in the garden. Cut the stems back to a few inches tall in early spring to preserve this plant's compact, rounded form. Flowers form on new wood. USDA Zones 5–9.
Image courtesy of Monrovia
