Caryopteris × clandonensis 'Worcester Gold' (Blue beard, Blue-mist shrub)

Caryopteris × clandonensis 'Worcester Gold' Photo/Illustration: Jennifer Benner



Be the first to rate this plant

Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Botanical Name: Caryopteris × clandonensis 'Worcester Gold' kare-ee-OP-ter-iss ex klan-don-EN-sis Common Name: Blue beard, Blue-mist shrub Genus: Caryopteris
'Worcester Gold' is an attractive, mounding, woody shrub with warm yellow to chartreuse foliage and lavender-blue flowers in late summer and early autumn. The flowers are fragrant and attractive to bees and butterflies. The foliage is also aromatic. It is ideal for a mixed or shrub border.
Noteworthy characteristics: Relatively drought tolerant and very heat tolerant. Shrub expands slowly as branches that touch the ground form their own roots.
Care: Grow in well-drained soil that is not overly rich. Shape them in spring to keep rounded clump form. Foliage keeps its golden color in cooler climates but might fade to pale green in warmer zones. Cut back to 3-inch stems in late winter to promote vigorous branching growth.
Propagation: Separate rooted stems from parent plant and transplant in early spring. Also from softwood cuttings.
Problems: Infrequent. Capsid bugs may affect leaves. May need to be hard pruned in spring in areas with severe winters.
Height 3 ft. to 6 ft.
Spread 1 ft. to 3 ft.
Growth Habit Spreads
Growth Pace Fast Grower
Light Full Sun to Part Shade
Moisture Adaptable
Maintenance Low
Tolerance Deer Tolerant;Drought Tolerant
Characteristics Attracts Butterflies; Fragrant Flowers; Fragrant Foliage; Showy Flowers; Showy Foliage
Bloom Time Early Fall; Fall; Late Summer; Summer
Foliage Color Colorful/Burgundy Foliage
Flower Color Blue Flower
Uses Beds and Borders
Seasonal Interest Summer Interest, Fall Interest
Type Shrubs

Plants you might also like

Caryopteris × clandonensis 'First Choice' Caryopteris × clandonensis 'First Choice'
(Blue beard, Blue-mist shrub)
Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

'First Choice' is ideal for a mixed or shrub border. It's an attractive woody shrub with dark green leaves, dark purplish blue flowers, and a compact habit. Misty blue flowers appear in late summer and early autumn.This plant is relatively drought tolerant and very heat tolerant. The shrub expands as branches that touch the ground form their own roots and may self-seed.

Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird' Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird'
(Sweet pepperbush)
Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This upright, suckering shrub bears creamy white, deliciously spicy clove-scented flowers in dense, upright spikes that last four to six weeks in July and August. It is more compact than the species. Flowers mature to spikes of dark brown capsules that provide winter interest. Its oval, glossy dark green leaves turn a pleasant yellow in autumn.

Clethra alnifolia 'Pink Spire'
(Summersweet, Sweet Pepperbush)
Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Very fragrant, light pink bottlebrush flowers grace this native shrub in late summer and early fall, attracting butterflies and other insects and perfuming the garden for weeks. Plant it in beds or borders, in a woodland or shade garden, or at waterside. It also has nice fall color.

Yucca filamentosa ‘Golden Sword’ Yucca filamentosa ‘Golden Sword’
(Adam's needle, Bear grass, Weak-leaf yucca, Golden Sword soapwort)
Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This easy to grow evergreen yucca bears dramatic, sword-shaped yellow leaves with a dark green edge. Not as staunchly upright as some yuccas, its leaf tips sometimes droop with age. Its foliage color is best from fall to spring. Plants grow to nearly 2 feet in height and 3 feet in width. In summer, it produces a 6-foot-tall spike covered with nodding, fragrant, white bell-shaped flowers.

Calamintha nepeta Calamintha nepeta
(Lesser calamint)
Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Lesser calamint produces fine, upright stems which are covered with small, shiny, dark green leaves, forming a little bush from 12 to 18 inches tall, and twice as wide. In late August, it produces a cloud of infinitesimal pale lavender flowers that continue blooming for up to six weeks. As the days become cooler, the color of the tiny, lipped blossoms deepens.