I have "Dark Knight" in one of my perennial beds. I love it!

I don't think it's a "front door shrub" because have to cut it back severely in the spring, and it sometimes is slow to get going in terms of new growth. If you can work it into the landscape or beds without it being a major focal point during it's filling-in period, I think you'd be better off (i.e. make sure you have other plants in the vicinity to take the eye off the eyesore until it fills in)

It eventually fills up and out, and in my area begins blooming usually mid-August, perhaps late August. Love the dark blooms against the silvery foliage. Bees go crazy for this plant.

No pests that I'm aware of (on mine, anyway), and a very carefree, reliably blooming plant - go for it!

I have the Dark Knight as well and it is carefree and xeric once established. Mine is starting to bloom now and is about 4' tall, 4' wide.

I have 'Dark Knight' and 'Worcester Gold'. Love them both. Not very tall. They are no more than 3 ft. tall. Butterflies and bees love them. So do I. They bloom when a lot of others are gone.

I have several, I love them but they are dormant a long time. I don't have them in prominent positions because of that.

I replaced 'Worchester Gold' with 'Sunshine Blue' the yellow coloration is much more stable on 'Sunshine Blue' it is a more compact grower too.

I have several varieties...this is by far my favorite perennial. I have Dark Knight, Longwood Blue, Blue Mist, Snow Fairy, Grand Bleu and Petit Bleu.
By far my favorite is Grand Bleu, this plant has a nice compact habit. It stays a nice well rounded shrub that gets about 2 1/2 feet tall by 18 inches wide. The leaves are the beautiful dark green with gorgeous bluish/purplish flowers. I simply love it! I have about 10 of this variety and it is a show stopper especially because it blooms during the late summer/fall months when most other perennials are spent. It is slow to leaf out in the spring because it dies back every winter however it makes up for it in blooms!!! I love this perennial, it is the best!!! It looks exceptionally wonderful paired with the sedums 'Neon' or 'Hot Stuff.' The bright pink and purple are great combinations!

I always thought of these plant as Caryopteris, rather than Spirea. Has there been a reclassification?

They are Caryopteris. A common name is False Spirea. Please try to use botanical names. It avoids so much confusion. Also, this type of Caryopteris is technically a shrub, often called a sub-shrub. There is a true perennial caryopteris, C. divaricata, a very different, though very nice, plant.

Hi - planted 1 'Longwood Blue' between 2 persian-pink mums years ago beautiful lacey effect on the heavy mounds of mums ... attracted lots of bees, unfortunately fell victim to drought ... a small stem came back up, a ft away, but after 1 tentative season even w/ TLC, the little one completely gave up! Â:( I miss him & the bees in the site ... will plant another ... thinking of Black Knight, since you all, seem to favor him!

One of my very favorite plants in the garden is Caryopteris divaricata 'Snow Fairy'. As mentioned above, it is very different than most other Caryopteris and is technically considered an herbaceous perennial. It's a beautifully variegated form and in my garden the old branches do not resprout in spring, but instead new growth sprouts from the base of the plant; very similar to the way a Phlox Paniculata would grow. Hence, herbaceous perennial as opposed to shrub.

It tends to wake up a bit late in Spring so I like to plant something like a Dicentra spectabilis behind it so that as the foliage of the Dicentra begins its summer demise, the beautiful 'Snow Fairy' grows up and takes its place. Oh, I LOVE gardening!

My 'Snow Fairy' only grows about 3x3 feet and although she does flower, the flowers are not entirely significant, but they do provide an added touch and the bees love it. The little flowers create a blue/purple wispy glow above the foliage, which is the real star. The variegation in the foliage is so unusual and the unusual shape of the foliage only adds to its beauty imho. Oh, she takes my breath away!

I'm kindof nuts about variegated foliage.

As far as golden-leaved forms of Caryopteris, I also prefer Caryopteris incana ÂSunshine Blue  JasonÂ. The foliage color is more stable and the flowering is more profuse. I think the form is a bit more refined, too.

I love talking/typing plants.

Happy Gardening, Everyone!

;)

I bought Caryopteris Longwood Blue and Caryopteris Sunshine Blue this spring. Longwood took off in the past few weeks and has doubled in size after doing not much for a few months. Sunshine Blue is great for the leaf color but is still behind.

Ooops forgot all about your ??? sorry!

Like greenfreak - my C Longwd Blue was an eager grower/bloomer ... stayed at around 2'x 2' (T&W) for years ... I may have pruned some to shape!

Good luck & have fun! Â;)

bump

Here is a pic of my favorite caryopteris 'Grand Bleu.' The pic is taken in my garden @ dusk when the bees are less active ;)... I love the purple flowers against the dark green glossy foilage.

Here is a link that might be useful: Grand Bleu 'Caryopteris'

Absolutely beautiful! Â;) Thank you for sharing!