Caryopteris clandonensis Blue Balloon - Bluebeard

Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Blue Balloon' is a cultivar of spirea whose name describes its very compact ball shape, completely covered with large rounded clusters of deep blue, very nectar-rich flowers! This variety forms an exceptionally floriferous bush with even the shortest lateral branches flowering making it resemble a big blue balloon at the end of summer. Its moderate growth allows it to be used to create beautiful borders or to enhance a terrace container, close enough to appreciate the spicy fragrance of its foliage which is dark green with silver undersides. It is a vigorous and hardy bush that is particularly suited to full sun and well-drained soils, preferably fertile, even chalky and dry.

Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Blue Balloon' is one of the hybrids obtained by cross-breeding Caryopteris incana, an Asian bush known as 'Bluebeard', and Caryopteris mongolica, hardier and native to the colder regions of Mongolia and northern China. They all belong to the Verbenaceae family.

The 'Blue Balloon' variety is distinguished by a perfect ball-shaped habit, with all stems, even the shortest and lowest, producing round clusters of deep blue flowers! The plant forms a small, bushy and compact shrub, 80 cm (31.5 in) tall and 60 cm (23.6 in) wide. It blooms from the second half of summer until the beginning of autumn. Its inflorescences appear on the upper half of the current year's branches consisiting of countless small lavender-blue buds gathered in large whorls or dense bouquets arranged in a staggered manner. The buds open into small flowers with prominent stamens which are particularly nectar-rich and attract many colourful butterflies. The deciduous foliage is a collection of thin, triangular leaves, 3 to 5 cm (1.2 to 2 in) long and aromatic, with irregularly toothed edges, arranged opposite each other on straight stems. They have a deep green colour with silver undersides and when crushed, they release a resinous scent.

Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Blue Balloon' is good for borders, mass plantings, and low hedges, alongside other shrubs with equally undemanding summer flowering: Russian sage (Perovskia), shrubby potentillas, St. John's wort, catmints, Ceratostigma griffithii, lavenders, dwarf buddleias, perennial or shrubby salvias... In a dry garden with a more natural style, plant it with grasses and silver-leaved shrubs like stipas and artemisias. A very romantic scene can be created in late summer by combining pink caryopteris with shrubby lavateras (Barnsley, Princesse de Ligne, Blue Bird), shrubby artemisias, and asters. A group of 3 shrubs surrounding a pastel reblooming rose is a splendour in September, as their very different styles of flowering are perfectly complementary. It can also be planted in a deep and beautiful pot on the terrace or balcony, in a sheltered position.