Caryopteris Good as Gold - Bluebeard

Caryopteris Good as Gold is one of the best varieties with golden yellow foliage, characterized by exceptional vigour, bright foliage that never burns, and a very compact ball-shaped habit that does not open up! It is a deciduous bush forming a dense and regular cushion and producing whorls of intense blue-violet flowers with long prominent stamens which are very attractive to bees, from August to September. It is a versatile plant that can be used in borders, low hedges, or in containers on a balcony. Drought-tolerant, it should ideally be planted in well-drained soil in full sun, otherwise its foliage may turn green.

Caryopteris Good as Gold is one of the hybrids obtained by crossing Caryopteris incana, an Asian bush known as 'Bluebeard', and Caryopteris mongolica, hardier and native to colder regions of Mongolia and northern China. They all belong to the verbena family.

The Good as Gold variety is a recent North American introduction dating from 2015. The plant forms a dense, compact bush of about 120 cm (47.2 in) in all directions, with a particularly compact bushy habit. It flowers in the second half of summer and into autumn. Its inflorescences appear on the upper half of the current year's branches, composed of countless small lilac-blue buds gathered in large whorls or dense clusters arranged in a staggered manner. The buds open into small flowers of intense blue-violet with prominent stamens. This flowering is particularly attractive to bees and nectar-loving insects, and the bush is often visited by many colourful butterflies. The deciduous foliage consists of thin, triangular, aromatic leaves measuring 3 to 5 cm (1.2 to 2 in) in length with irregularly toothed edges, arranged in an opposite manner on straight stems. They have a golden yellow colour that turns to medium green in shade. When crushed, they release a resinous scent.

Caryopteris Good as Gold is perfect in borders and low hedges, alongside other summer-flowering shrubs that are equally undemanding: Russian sage (Perovskia), shrubby cinquefoils, St. John's worts, catmints, Ceratostigma griffithii, lavenders, dwarf buddleias, perennial or shrubby salvias... In a more natural dry garden style, plant it with grasses and silver-leaved shrubs such as stipas and wormwoods. A very romantic scene can be created in late summer by combining the pink Caryopteris with shrubby lavenders (Barnsley, Princesse de Ligne, Blue Bird), shrubby wormwoods, and asters. A group of 3 shrubs surrounding a pastel reblooming rose is a splendid sight in September, as their very different styles of flowering perfectly complement each other. It can also be planted in a beautiful pot on the terrace or balcony, in a sheltered position.