Caryopteris 'Lisaura' HINT OF GOLD bluebeard
size/type
medium-sized shrub,medium-sized shrub
usual height
0,6-1m
usual width
0,6-1m
leaves
deciduous broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
August-October
location
full sun
soil type
any (acidic to alkaline)
soil moisture requirements
evenly moist (dislikes drought)
USDA zone (lowest)
5b (down to -27°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
UK breeder Peter Catt from Liss Forest Nurseries is mad about purple and blue. Among his over 60 plant introductions there are plenty of bluebeards, perovskias, and plumbagos with violet or blue flowers. He began breeding bluebeards from 1998 and this time he crossbred caryopteris x clandonensis and caryopteris incana which makes larger leaves and interestingly composed inflorescence. It was named HINT OF GOLD and patented in USA as PP20608, and in Europe as EU25088 in 2009. Awarded Bronze Medal at Plantarium 2008.
Description of the plant:
HINT OF GOLD bluebeard is a showstopper due to its vibrant golden chartreuse leaves. They are larger than on most other bluebeards – up to 5.5 cm long and 3 cm wide, deciduous, and bear interesting fragrance when crushed. They cover the plant completely and make it an attractive item long before it begins to bloom. Flowers are pure violet, composed symmetrically around the stem in profusion in its upper parts and at the top. They are always occupied by bumble bees, butterflies and similar insects, begin blooming in mid to late summer, and last until mid autumn. The plant grows fast into a bushy, upright, well-branched shrub 80-90 cm tall and wide. Bluebeard needs to be pruned hard every spring – cut back two thirds of previous year’s growth to encourage prolific branching that will secure even more profuse flowering. It is soil tolerant, however, it does best in fertile, very well-drained soil in full sun. It is hardy to about -25°C, in free-draining soil even to -27°C (USDA zone 5b). In zones 4 and 5a it acts like a perennial.
Last update 29-01-2020
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GLOSSARY
- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
