Caryopteris

Read about Caryopteris in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Caryopteris (Greek for nut and wing). Verbenaceae. Ornamental woody plants grown for their lavender-blue flowers profusely produced in autumn. Deciduous small shrubs: lvs. opposite, short-petioled, serrate: fls. in axillary cymes; calyx campanulate, deeply 5-lobed with lanceolate teeth, spreading and somewhat enlarged in fr.; corolla 5-lobed, with short cylindric tube and spreading limb, 1 segm. larger and fringed; stamens 4, exserted, 2 of them longer; style slender, 2-parted at the apex: fr. separating into 4 somewhat winged nutlets.—About 6 species in E. Asia. These are glabrous, pubescent or tomentose shrubs with small blue or violet late flowers. Free-flowering and very valuable for their late blooming season; not hardy North; even if well protected they will be killed almost to the ground, but the young shoots, springing up freely, will flower profusely the same season. They require well-drained and sandy soil and sunny position; if grown in pots, a sandy compost of peat and leaf soil or loam will suit them, and they will flower in the greenhouse until midwinter. Propagated readily by cuttings of half-ripened wood in summer or fall under glass, and by seeds sown in spring. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

? Caryopteris
Caryopteris divaricata
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Lamiaceae Genus: Caryopteris Bunge
Species
See text

Caryopteris (bluebeard; Chinese: 莸属 you shu) is a genus of 16 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae (formerly often placed in the family Verbenaceae), native to eastern and southern Asia.

They are herbaceous plants or small shrubs growing to 1–4 m tall. The leaves are opposite, simple ovate to lanceolate, with an entire or crenate margin; they are often aromatic. The flowers are blue or white. The flower are pollinated by butterflies and bumblebees. The fruit is a four-valved capsule containing four seeds.

Species

• Caryopteris aureoglandulosa (Vaniot) C.Y.Wu
• Caryopteris bicolor (Roxb. ex Hardw.) Mabb.
• Caryopteris divaricata Maxim.
• Caryopteris forrestii Diels
• Caryopteris glutinosa Rehd.
• Caryopteris grata Benth.
• Caryopteris incana (Thunb. ex Houtt.) Miq.
• Caryopteris jinshajiangensis Y.K.Yang & X.D.Cong
• Caryopteris mongholica Bunge
• Caryopteris nepetifolia (Benth.) Maxim.
• Caryopteris odorata (Ham. ex Roxb.) Rob.
• Caryopteris paniculata C.B.Clarke
• Caryopteris siccanea W.W.Smith
• Caryopteris tangutica Maxim.
• Caryopteris terniflora Maxim.
• Caryopteris trichosphaera W.W.Smith

Sources:

Cultivation and uses

Several Caryopteris species are grown as ornamental plants in gardens. Like Buddleja, the woody stems can die back in the winter, particularly in colder climates. They prefer well-drained soil in full sun, but does not need especially rich soil or constant moisture.

The hybrid Caryopteris × clandonensis (C. incana × C. mongholica) is commonly grown; there are several cultivars, including 'Blue Mist', 'Heavenly Blue', 'Longwood Blue', and 'Dark Knight'.