Caryopteris 'Gold Crest'

Caryopteris, bluebeard, or blue mist spirea, is a favorite shrub of ours.  The tubular blooms that erupt in mid-late summer are teeming with bees, hover flies, fairy moths, butterflies, and so many other beneficials to be enjoyed.  Just in the butterfly department you will see skippers, viceroy, swallowtails, monarchs, painted ladies, cloudless sulphurs, and great spangled fritillary just to name a few.  The varieties like blue empire, dark knight, and longwood blue have long been favorites and they will remain favorites.  However, this year we purchased 'Gold Crest' starts and have been surprised by them.  The foliage starts out in the spring an intense golden and slowly fades to a yellow-green that is still beautiful.  Once the blooms start appearing in late July the cooler night temperatures (if you are blessed with them) intensify the foliage again but now with the contrating blue blooms.  This is such an awesome color duo.  If your Augusts are hot then the leaf color will intensify later in the fall as the nights cool off and the plants will still be in bloom.  Ours have been in bloom since late July and are still going strong here almost into October.  We suspect them to bloom until late October like the rest of the bluebeards.  This late season bloom is such a reward for pollinators and butterflies before the cold sets in.  Overall gold crest has performed nicely in containers, may just have more blooms than others we have trialed, and the contrasting gold to blue makes it a top notch shrub for landscaping.  These are easily maintained with just an annual trimming and fertilizing.  We highly recommend this variety and it is a landscapers dream.
Mature Plant Size: 30" Tall, 30" Spread  
Bloom Time: Late June - September
Light Exposure: Full Sun/Partial Shade - best foliage color is in full sun
Soil Type/pH: Well-drained/6.0-7.0
Hardiness Zones: 6-9
Container Size: 4.5" Pot
Fertilizer: Apply compost or an all-purpose granular fertilizer around plants in early spring.  Go light on the fertilizer as they are low feeders.
Water:  Monitor new plants for adequate moisture.  Water in deep and allow the top to dry between applications.  Once plants are established (after about a year) only supplement water when in drought situations.
Additional care:  Trim back dead foliage and prune back to 12" in early spring before leaves emerge if a lower growing shrub is prefered.  Pruning back in this manner will encourage more branching and bloom set.

Plant Patent: 32310 - Cannot be propagated without proper consent