Caryopteris is one of my favorite shrubs, but for a long time I thought it was a somewhat misguided beginner’s purchase: Filippi only gives it a mere 2.5 of 6 on the drought-resistance scale. However, in this garden it has turned out to be surprisingly tough and has even survived under less than ideal circumstances.
I planted it in the spring of 2023, in what turned out to be one of the worst spots in the garden. It held up, but then disappeared the next winter. I was convinced it was finally dead and/or had been run over and killed by the digger during the big garden re-do.
The next spring however it suddenly showed up again in the same spot and I moved it to the part of the new “park garden” where the slightly more demanding plants live. There it thrives and grows bigger each year, showing the most beautiful blue flowers in September and October. I am so happy – as are the bees…!
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