Caryopteris: location, winter hardiness & propagation

With its bright blue flowers, caryopteris immediately catches the eye. It gives off a pleasant fragrance that also attracts bees and bumblebees.

Bluebeard (Caryopteris) is a popular and low-maintenance ornamental plant for the garden. We show how to plant them correctly and present the most beautiful varieties. There are also tips for successful overwintering.

Caryopteris: flowering time, properties and origin

The Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis) is a species of the Bluebeard plant genus (Caryopteris) from China. The genus belongs to the labiates family (Lamiaceae) and comprises seven different species. Crossing two species then also gave rise to the hybrid Caryopteris x clandonensis, which has become very popular in our latitudes as an ornamental plant for the garden. From July to September, the beard flower is in bloom and shines in bright blue. The deciduous half-shrub grows up to one metre high and wide, loses its gray-green foliage in winter and then often freezes back. However, the Bluebeard is perennial, always sprouts in the spring and blooms again in the summer. An aromatic fragrance emanates from the green foliage leaves.

Is the Bluebeard bee friendly? Bluebeard is not only beautiful to look at, but also pleases bees and bumblebees. Insects use the flower nectar as a food source in late summer and serve as pollinators for the Bluebeard.

The most beautiful varieties

Of the seven species occurring in Asia, only the hybrid Caryopteris x clandonensis is relevant in our country. It was bred from Caryopteris incana and Caryopteris mongholica. In turn, different varieties of Bluebeards were created, some of which we present here:

• Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Heavenly Blue’: The Bluebeard ‘Heavenly Blue’ forms particularly many shoots and thus also many flowers, which shine in a deep blue or purple.
• Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Kew Blue’: This variety, on the other hand, does not grow very vigorously and, in addition to its blue flowers, is most notable for its gray-green foliage.
• Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Grand Bleu’: At over 100 cm, the Bluebeard ‘Grand Bleu’ can grow relatively large and impresses us with very dark blue flowers and dark green foliage.
• Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Dark Knight’: Bluebeard ‘Dark Knight’ produces flowers of midnight blue colour and grows up to 100 cm tall.
• Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Blue Balloon’: The flowers of the Bluebeard ‘Blue Balloon’ form spherical clusters and the shrub itself also grows spherical and compact.
• Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Blue Sparrow’: Bluebeard ‘Blue Sparrow’ develops dark blue flowers and grows about 70 cm tall. The leaves are shiny.

Planting caryopteris: location and procedure

The location of the caryopteris should be protected, preferably sunny and dry to fresh. Some soil moisture is beneficial, but waterlogging is tolerated much worse than drought. Especially in winter, heavy and wet soils because problems for the Bluebeard. The soil should be humus, loose and slightly acidic or alkaline, because the Bluebeard has no problems with lime. When you plant the beard flower, you should maintain a distance of at least 50 cm from other plants. The best time for planting is spring, so that the beard flower can take root well. However, planting can also be done in the fall. Dig a hole approximately twice the size of the root ball. If the soil is very heavy, it can be mixed with a little sand to increase permeability. Depending on the garden soil, also mix in a little compost and put the beard flower in the bed. Now fill all the gaps with soil, press the surface of the substrate and water well.

Beard flower can also be planted in a pot. In this case, it is essential to add a drainage layer to prevent waterlogging. But what soil needs Bluebeard in the pot? As a substrate is suitable high-quality soil, which remains structurally stable for a long time. For this purpose, for example, our Plantura Organic Flower Compost is suitable. It contains humus and is in the slightly acidic range with a pH of 6.5. It provides flowering plants with essential nutrients and can store water without wetting. It also contains expanded clay, which improves permeability and structural stability. To increase the permeability even more, you can also mix in more expanded clay.

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Companion plants for bluebeard: What goes with the beard flower?

There are many plants that you can combine with the beard flower. Especially other shrubs fit well, so that no plant is lost next to the other. For example, roses (pink) perfectly match the blue flowers of the beard flower. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) also does well next to the beard flower. Yellow flowering cinquefoil (Potentilla) also harmonize with the flowers of the Bluebeard and can be used as ground cover in the surrounding area. It is important that the planting partners have similar site requirements as the beard flower. That is, they should prefer dry, well-drained soil and plenty of sun.

Replanting beard flower:

If the site proves unsuitable, the beard flower is transplanted in the spring. Since it roots very deep must be dug deep so that all the roots are caught. At the new location should then also dig a correspondingly deep planting hole. After planting, you should continue with general caryopteris plant care. Bluebeards in pots are repotted in the spring, as soon as the old pot is fully rooted.

Is Bluebeard frost-resistant?

As long as it is planted in a sheltered place, the Bluebeard is hardy. Temperatures from – 23 to – 17 °C are tolerated for a short period. In this case, the beard flower can freeze back to the base. However, since it sprouts strongly the following spring, this is not a problem. To help the Bluebeard through the cold season, you can mulch the soil around the woody plant, for example, with a thick layer of leaves. The most important thing is to protect the roots.

If you keep the beard flower in a pot, it should be placed on a wooden block. The pot is then wrapped with jute or similar protective material. Ideal is overwintering at up to 0°C in a sheltered place. So that the soil does not dry out completely, watering should be moderate from time to time.

Beard flower propagation

It is possible to propagate the beard flower, but the first flowering is a long time coming. Besides propagation by seed, people mainly use Bluebeard cuttings.

For propagating cuttings, cut off about 10 to 15 cm long young shoots from the mother plant in July/August. These should be only slightly woody and cut off with a sharp knife. Remove the lower leaves and put the cuttings in a low-nutrient growing medium. In this case, for example, you can use our Plantura Organic Herb & Seedling Compost, which is specially designed for the needs of young plants. It consists of natural raw materials and does not contain peat. If the shoots are already heavily woody, rooting powder should be used. A good location for germination is a bright windowsill without direct sunlight. Temperatures between 16 and 18°C are necessary for the cuttings to grow. Keep the soil moist and repot the seedlings if necessary until they are large enough for the flower bed.

Tip: The softer the shoots are, the better they can be rooted. You can also overwinter the mother plant in the greenhouse and then cut the freshly sprouted head cuttings in March.

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Alternatively, you can collect ripe fruit from Bluebeards in late summer or early fall and use the seed for propagation. The seeds are then dried and stored over the winter at room temperature. Sowing should be in March or April. The seeds are lightly covered with soil and the pot is covered with a plastic bag or glass.

Is the beard flower poisonous?

The beard flower is not poisonous to humans or pets. So you do not have to worry about dogs, cats and children and can safely plant the beard flower in the garden.

Would you like to have even more bee-friendly plants in your garden? Read our tips on the best flowers for attracting bees.