Habitat

• hybrid cross between C. incana and C. mongholica 'Bunge'
• hardy to zone 6

Habit and Form

• a herbaceous shrub
• 2' to 3' tall
• mounded
• medium-fine texture
• fast growth rate

Summer Foliage

• opposite leaf arrangement
• simple, deciduous leaves
• ovate leaf shape
• 1" to 2" long
• margin can be smooth or toothed
• pubescent
• dull bluish-green leaf color

Autumn Foliage

• no fall color

Flowers

• blue flowers
• flowers clustered together
• blooms in August

Fruit

• no ornamentally important

Bark

• pubescent
• squared stems
• green stem color

Culture

• prefers loose, fertile, well-drained soil
• full sun
• cut back in winter

Landscape Uses

• perennial border
• for flower effect
• for late summer color

Liabilities

• not reliably hardy
• doesn't like wet "feet"

ID Features

• opposite leaf arrangement
• squared, greenish stems
• blue flowers held in clusters
• late summer bloom
• 2' to 3' tall
• dies back in winter

Propagation

• by cuttings

Cultivars/Varieties

'Blue Mist' - A low, mounding form (under 3' tall) with light blue flowers.

'Dark Knight' - Similar overall to 'Blue Mist', except the blooms are a pronounced deep blue-purple.

'First Choice' - A new form being pushed in the nursery industry. The blooms are purple-blue, the form 3' tall and wide, and the plant blooms a bit earlier than other forms -- often by late August.

'Longwood Blue' - One of the more popular forms and perhaps superior. The leaves are a pleasant silvery-gray color, which contrasts well with the violet blooms. A bit larger, to 4' tall and wide.

'Worcester Gold' - An unusual and popular form with yellow foliage that holds up in the summer heat. The blooms are blue.