Dark Knight Bluebeard

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

2-3 Feet

Mature Spread

2-3 Feet

Growing Zones

6 to 8

Dark Knight Bluebeard Shrub, Caryopteris Clandonensis ‘Dark Knight’, sometimes called Dark Knight Blue Mist, is a rustic, cottage shrub with midnight blue to purple flowers in early fall. The silvery, toothed, gray-green leaves, which bear glittering silver hairs, form a 2 to 3 foot mound of dense, fragrant foliage. Dark Knight has a long blooming season, so you can enjoy its vivid colors and intoxicating aroma until the first frost. The Dark Knight Bluebeard Shrub is an easy-to-grow deciduous shrub that is valued by growers worldwide for its late fall flowers, when fewer plants are in bloom.

Dark Knight is a magnet for bees and butterflies, because of its floriferous branches which hold numerous blooms. Deer and rabbits avoid the Bluebeard’s powdery foliage, which results in even more long-lasting blooms. Bluebeard can be planted en masse as a low-growing border for your perennial garden, or as a beautiful blue accent along sunny walkways. They are low-maintenance, grow well in containers, and mound easily.

Dark Knight Bluebeard Care

This gorgeous shrub is drought tolerant, and has low water needs, but should be watered regularly, especially when it is young or newly planted. Once established, these shrubs don’t require supplemental water. Dark Knights prefer neutral to acidic soil, but can tolerate poor soils with ease. It should be planted in areas with full sun. If planted in dappled shade, the Dark Knight will not flower as well. It is not a heavy feeder, so a side dressing of compost is better than chemical fertilizer. 

Prune your Dark Knight Bluebeards hard after flowering. They should be cut back to at least half in the winter, which will pave the way for flowering new growth in the next season. You can cut the branches from 12 to 18 inches without damaging the plant, so don’t hold back. Dead branches can be pruned in the early spring as well, especially in colder areas. 

Dark Knight Bluebeard Spacing

Dark Knight Bluebeard Shrubs can be grown as a single plant or in groups. They should be planted 20 to 36 inches apart from the center. They are a great choice to contribute to late season color and they group well with bushy herbs and perennials. They grow well in raised planters and containers with good drainage and look beautiful in tandem with Rudbeckia, Chrysanthemums, and Echinacea.