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This summer, we’ve been
looking at mid to late summer blooming perennials to add colors to our
garden late into the season. Well, how about a couple more late bloomers,
that some folks call woody shrubs, some call them perennials, and I call
them woody perennials?
This is Caryopteris, or
“Blue spirea”. A small to medium sized shrubby plant, with blue green
foliage, silvery undersides, and grayish stems, which all add to its nice
summer appearance, but it’s these wonderful late appearing bright blue
flowers that really make this plant a season ending keeper. “First Choice”
and “Black Knight” are probably the 2 most common blue bloomers. And be
sure to check out Caryopteris ‘Snowfairy’, with its wonderful creamy white
and green variegated foliage, which will be topped with the wonderful blue
flowers by late summer. And this one, ‘Sunshine Blue’, with its wonderful
golden yellow foliage, and the late rich blue flowers.
Lespedeza, or Bush
Clover is another woody perennial with great late color. This whispy
arching shrub gets about 4-5 feet tall and wide, but again, it’s these late
rosy purple flowers that turns this shrub into a waterfall of late color.
And here’s one of my
favorites and a true sleeper in the garden. It’s called Callicarpa or
“Beautyberry”. A medium sized shrub - arching branches - blue green foliage
during the season with yellows and purple fall colors - but it’s the results
of these tiny pinkish flowers that makes this one so unique. These are the
most electrifying metallic lavender blue berries that you’ll ever see - as a
matter of fact, I don’t know of any berry that comes close to this color.
And they’re so thick on the stems; they give a spectacular late summer show
- before the birds eat them!
By the way, I call these
woody perennials as I cut them back hard every spring and force up a whole
new plant - more new growth, and that means more flowers and more berries.
Caryopteris and
Callicarpa - great plants for a late summer show in your garden. |
