A great pollinator plant, easy keeper that enjoys neglect. Looks fabulous for three weeks but is kinda just there for the rest of the season.

Excellent 'cecily'. Thanks for the quick reply.

(If I can find a variety that is proven to be on the smaller side I will try it in a container as it will allow me to put it in full sun.)

Ya know you're gonna cut it down to six inches each spring, right? Longwood Blue is about 3x3.

Like a BB.

(But I was thinking that it could still grow quite large in one season...as do many BBs)

Love Caryopteris - wouldn't be without it! There's nothing like the silver-tinged green foliage covered in blue blooms buzzing with pollinator activity come late summer/early fall. "Dark Knight" is my cultivar of choice -- an oldie but goodie, I like the richness of the blooms and the foliage color.

A word of warning: These are late to show growth, as in May late, and they can be finicky. I've found that planting any later than mid-summer and they won't survive winter, and I've also had the experience where the plant is showing green growth in the spring and then decides to give up the ghost for no apparent reason.

It needs to be trimmed down in the spring, similar to butterfly bush. I've taken to waiting until leaf growth is well underway to trim back. Depending on how harsh the winter was, it may need cutting back almost to the ground or might be able to leave a foot or two, just depends. Regardless of how harshly it was cut back, "Dark Knight" only gets 3-4" feet tall where I am.

It's kind of a PITA and I do have losses sometimes, but still I wouldn't be without it and promptly buy replacements if needed. I love this shrub that much :0)

Side note: Interestingly, Caryopteris never behaved tempermentally at my old house in zone 6 -- the one I planted grew in the same spot for many years and was virtually care-free save for the spring cut-back. Not sure if that's zone-related or a difference in growing conditions.

O, I love caryopteris. They do well in my dry garden. I do grow c,clandonensis (Sterling Silver' and 'Heavenly Blue) and am also trialling c,divaricata 'Blue Butterflies, a plant which seems to fly under different aliases (such as tripora divaricata). Not like the usual bluebeards at all, bit am growing side by side with another 'Blue Butterflies' - salvia sagittata. I might suggest considering one of the incanas for pot culture Rouge, especially if you enjoy the combination of golden green leaves and blue flowers.

if you enjoy the combination of golden green leaves and blue flowers.

I think it was that combination that I saw in a nursery in late summer or early fall. It was stunning.

I forgot about C. divaricata! I have "Snow Fairy". I don't grow it for the flowers, they are inconspicuous. It's the green and white variagated foliage that is it's outstanding feature. Treat this one as a perennial -- it dies completely back to the ground every year.

Hey all, isnt it about time you post pictures of your now in bloom Caryopteris bushes?

unfortunately, from afar they look like a bright green bush. But up close, oh what a lovely combination of limey green with pale purple flowers!. Mine is rather squashed by a greedy mum, but I see it well from indoors, lol I don't know if i can load a pic, but I'll try...

As someone who doesn't have a caryopteris It is my understanding that it isn't the most showy of plants but its flowers are welcome to humans and pollinators in the last month of summer. @rginnie I'd love to see a picture or two. Do you recall which variety it is?

Link doesn't "work" for me @rginnie :(

UPDATE (August 2025):

So mid September 2024 I bought and planted "Beekeeper" Caryopteris. I potted it up 'permanently' and had it outside until probably November sometime when I moved it into the garage. It brought it back out sometime in April and yup it did survive the winter.

Here it was late June, filled in:

And today 2 months later...lots of new growth:

I have had 3 ”Snow Fairy” for at least 10 years. After i learned they must be planted well before fall, they lived through the winter. Now two are in decline, one im sure due to poor drainage. I hardly notice the flowers but they are covered with insects.

My opinion that the foliage smells foul hasnt changed . Im always surprised by the putrid smell when i brush by.

That "Beekeeper" looks nice, Rouge -- very healthy-looking! I would expect you'll get flowers soon, it's that time of the year.

Yea, "Snow Fairy" foliage is odiferous, but it doesn't bother me. Mine are planted where I don't casually brush by them. Mine have declined, too, but not to the point I'd rip them out -- they're just not as bushy and take longer to emerge in the spring. In my case, I think it's because they've been moved to part shade, and really they're a full sun plant.

A couple of Caryopteris varieties are growing decently but not thriving overmuch here. The yellow/chartreuse-leafed types are of dubious winter hardiness, even here in Kentucky zone 7a.

I would expect you'll get flowers soon, it's that time of the year.

Thanks @porkchop_z5b_MI.

Looking carefully at the flowers to come, there aint no way it will be in flower till (well?) into September.

I have three, the oldest is probably about 10yrs. old also. I planted a second one some years later, then it began seeding down and i ended up with another one across from it. The older one blooms before the other two. Sorry don't remember which variety the first one is, but the other two are "Dark Knight" (I kept the tag) Perhaps different varieties bloom at different times (early vs late?). Eventually all three are blooming at the same time if I remember correctly.

I really do like them, but as mentioned they seed down alot after maturing. I pull the seedlings as much as I can. Yes, I cut mine back in the Spring.

It is now mid September and it is in full bloom in a container. A very pretty plant it is

(Beekeeper Bluebeard)(It was so small after overwintering in the garage that I refrained from cutting it back).

Yesterday I saw a pink caryopteris at a garden center. I was so surprised to see a caryopteris of a different color that I didn't think to take a photo.

How about going back to snap a pic? 😏

Rouge - your Beekeeper looks great.

Proven Winners has a pink sister plant of Caryopteris ‘Beyond Midnight’ (your original post) named ‘Beyond Pink'd’ - Hardiness Zones: 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b – this could be the plant that Cecily observed.

https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/caryopteris/beyond-pinkd-bluebeard-caryopteris-incana

Several years ago - 2022 - I purchased ‘Beyond Pink'd’ and it did not survive my then z6b winter (later changed to z7a).

After I bought it I noticed it was z7b and I was upset that my local nursery was selling a z7b plant in z6b. I think, but can’t be sure that I researched ‘Beyond Midnight’ (Hardiness Zones 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b) and ASSumed ‘Beyond Pink'd’ was OK for my zone. PW says: Needs free draining soil. Any sogginess could result in root rot, especially in winter.

I have other Caryopteris that I like – I think ‘Longwood Blue’ that went in the ground around 2012 that are still kicking.

Good info @raymondz7a. Although my Beekeeper has been successful the past 2 seasons in this container it is probably getting root bound and has needed lots of supplemental water this summer and so I am hoping to find a place in the garden to plant it in the ground.

UPDATE May 2026:

Pulled it out of the garage sometime in April and it looks good even now:

^^ Oh wow, that's a lot leaf-out for this time of year; most of mine are very bare except for their ankles.

And none of mine are to be seen. i see two spots of semidesicated foliage remains which i think two of the three . i remember it was the 3rd week of May - at earliest- before there were faint signs of life from the plants

"i remember it was the 3rd week of May - at earliest- before there were faint signs of life from the plants"

Yes the foliage can be very late to emerge, and sometimes it doesn't emerge at all just gives up the ghost for no apparent reason. {shrug}

It’s just starting to leaf out which is strange seeing how we are 1.5 zones apart.

Remember, my Caryopteris is permanently in this container (now its 3rd season in our garden). And I store it away in our unheated garage each early November and bring it out early April.

It was interesting this time as I could see before taking it outside that it had already begun leafing out in the garage in the dark. At first I thought this was foliage from last year not yet 'discarded' but no...it was live new leaves. And so it has had a head start.

True it was nice and warm for your caryopteris but I'm surprised how it leafed out so well in the dark! Now that I think of it my caryopteris is planted right in front of my fence which blocks all winter sun so it gets real cold in that spot and probably why it's a little late. I'll update when it blooms.

I'll update when it blooms.

This will be in...August for you @Heruga? For me it is late Agust

Yup August to September it blooms

@Heruga (7a NJ), I looked back at last year's pictures and I didnt have flowers until September.

All winter I had plans to take it out of the container and plant it in the ground once I wheeled it out of the garage. I even got to the point of lifting it out of the pot! I pulled it out easily as it was/is completely root bound but a mini emergency came up and I put it back down and now I will leave well enough alone.

I keep reading that these plants have a shorter life span.If and when it does "leave me" I will for sure buy another one. I have really enjoyed my first experiences with Caryopteris.

Yea it happens lol maybe plant it in the fall. I didn’t know about their short lifespan.. but these plants(at least mine) keep self layering and making new clones of itself. Hopefully that’ll keep this plant in the garden as the old ones die off.