Family - Verbenaceae

Stems - To 1.5m tall, multiple, branching, woody, gray-tomentose above, glabrescent below, dying back each year.

Leaves - Opposite, coarsely toothed, short-petiolate, gray-tomentose above and below, lanceolate, to 6cm long, 3cm wide, fragrant.

Inflorescence - Axillary, pedunculate, cymose clusters, mostly in upper half of stems.

Flowers - Corolla deep blue-purple, tubular, to +1cm long, with an expanded limb. Stamens 4, long exerted beyond corolla tube and slightly spreading. Calyx tomentose.

Flowering - July - November.

Habitat - Cultivated.

Origin - Native to Asia.

Other info. - Although the genus Caryopteris is comprised of about 15 species, the plant shown above is Caryopteris x cladonensis. This plant is a hybrid between C. incana and C.mongholica.
Few plants produced as much blue color or as long as this hybrid. Other Caryopteris species grow smaller or are more branching. All are popular in cultivation and are great in adult butterfly gardens.

Photograph taken at the Kansas City Zoo, 7-9-99.