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Caryopteris clandonensis Camara Dark Blue - Bluebeard

Caryopteris x clandonensis Camara Dark Blue ®
Bluebeard, Blue Spirea, Blue Mist Shrub

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The young plants are very good and the compartment packaging is well thought out.

paint, 02/09/2023

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Value-for-money
A compact cultivar of blue spirea, with an intense blue-violet flowering. It is a small bushy shrub that flowers from August to October. Its numerous floral spikes are highly visited by pollinating insects and its deciduous foliage, with a grey-green colour, is pleasantly aromatic when crushed. Caryopteris is planted in flower beds, low hedges, or in a pot on a terrace. Not demanding, it is an excellent young plant for fairly dry soils in summer, in the sun.
Flower size
1 cm
Height at maturity
1.20 m
Spread at maturity
1 m
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -15°C
Soil moisture
Dry soil, Moist soil
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Best planting time March, September
Recommended planting time March to May, September to November
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Flowering time August to October
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Description

Caryopteris x clandonensis Camara® Dark Blue is a rather compact blue spirea selection with intense violet-blue flowering. From August to October, this small bush offers the gardener, as well as bees, numerous fluffy spikes. A late flowering, precious for adding colour and a source of food for pollinators at a time of year when they become rarer. Apart from its flowering, Caryopteris is appreciated for its aromatic foliage when crushed. It easily fits into borders, low hedges, and adapts to container gardening on a terrace. Not demanding, it is an excellent plant for well-drained soils, even limestone and fairly dry in summer.

Caryopteris x clandonensis Camara Dark Blue is one of the many hybrids obtained by crossing Caryopteris incana, an Asian bush known as 'Bluebeard', and Caryopteris mongolica, hardier, native to the colder regions of Mongolia and northern China. All belong to the Verbenaceae family. This cultivar 'Camara Dark Blue' forms a bushy shrub, with a bushy habit, about 1.20m (3ft 11in) high and 1m (3ft 4in) wide. It blooms in the second half of summer and until the beginning of autumn. Its inflorescences appear on the upper half of the current year's branches. They consist of countless tiny very dark blue-violet buds, gathered in large whorls or dense clusters, arranged in a staggered manner. The buds open into small intense violet-blue flowers, with prominent stamens. This flowering is particularly attractive to bees and nectar-feeding insects, and the bush is often visited by many colourful butterflies. The deciduous foliage, absent in winter, is a collection of thin and triangular leaves, 3 to 5cm (1.2 to 2in) long, aromatic, with irregularly toothed edges, arranged oppositely on straight stems. They have a dark green colour that appears more or less grey-silver depending on the dryness of the soil and the heat. When crushed, they release a resinous scent. 

Caryopteris Camara Dark Blue is planted in the company of equally frugal summer-flowering shrubs : Russian sages (Perovskia) and shrub sagesshrub cinquefoilsSt. John's worts, catmints, dwarf buddleias, landscaping roses... In a more natural dry garden style, plant it with grasses and shrubs with silver foliage such as Stipas and wormwoods. A very romantic scene can be created in late summer by combining Caryopteris with shrubby mallows ('Barnsley', 'Princesse de Ligne', 'Blue Bird'), shrubby wormwoods, and asters. A group of 3 bushes surrounding a pastel reblooming rose is a splendor in September, as their very different flowerings complement each other perfectly. It can also be planted in a nice pot on the terrace or balcony, in a sheltered location.

Plant habit

Height at maturity 1.20 m
Spread at maturity 1 m
Habit Irregular, bushy
Growth rate fast

Flowering

Flower colour violet
Flowering time August to October
Inflorescence Cyme
Flower size 1 cm
Fragrance slightly scented
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators
Flowering description Intense violet blue. Nectar-rich.

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour dark green
Aromatic? Fragrant foliage when creased
Foliage description Balsamic fragrance. Deciduous.

Botanical data

Genus

Caryopteris

Species

x clandonensis

Cultivar

Camara Dark Blue ®

Family

Verbenaceae

Other common names

Bluebeard, Blue Spirea, Blue Mist Shrub

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference18758

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Planting and care

Caryopteris are sun-loving plants that require well-drained soil. They can be planted early in the autumn or in the spring in colder regions, in a very sunny location and in a light, well-drained soil, even rocky or sandy, although fairly deep. While caryopteris is not sensitive to limestone, it will be more beautiful in humus-rich soil. Excessive waterlogged soil in winter will greatly affect its hardiness. In well-drained soil and a sheltered position, this plant can tolerate -15°C (5 °F) for short periods, for example, at the end of the night. In our cold regions, it is advisable to plant it against a south-facing wall. It is also worth noting that plants grown in pots are more susceptible to cold than those planted in open ground. Prune in late winter or very early spring to maintain a compact habit and promote the appearance of flowers on the young shoots of the year.

Planting period

Best planting time March, September
Recommended planting time March to May, September to November

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow
Type of use Border, Container, Slope
Hardiness Hardy down to -15°C (USDA zone 7b) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 1 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Any
Soil type Chalky (poor, alkaline and well-drained), Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil, Well-drained, deep.

Care

Pruning instructions Prune in late winter or early spring to maintain a compact habit and promote the emergence of flowers, on the shoots of the year.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time February to March
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
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