Bluebeard
Caryopteris × clandonensis
Also called Caryopteris, Bluebeard and Blue mist shrub
Garden plant · ShrubsCUT IT TO A STUMP EVERY SPRING and it flowers in late summer on the new growth. Left unpruned it becomes a sprawling woody mess with a few flowers on top — this is one of the small number of shrubs you genuinely cannot over-prune.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 5 daysDrench and drain — water the whole surface until it runs from the holes.
- Light
- Full sun
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a cold winter RHS H5, to -15°C
- Size
- 1 m tall · 1.2 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- A garden hybrid of two Asian species
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-21. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.