Caryopteris, Beyond Midnight

Beyond Midnight Bluebeard brings late-summer blue to the sunny border at exactly the right moment—when many perennials are fading and the garden needs a fresh surge of color. The deep violet-blue flower clusters open along arching stems above glossy dark green foliage from midsummer into fall, drawing butterflies in real numbers on warm September afternoons. Growing to a tidy mounding shrub three to five feet tall, it fits at the back of a sunny border or as a mid-border anchor where its refined form earns its keep from leaf-out to first frost. It is impressively drought tolerant and deer resistant once established, preferring lean, well-drained soil and full sun. Cut it back hard in early spring before new growth appears—it blooms on new wood and responds with vigorous, fresh growth each year. For a refined late-season combination, pair it with yellow rudbeckia, white coneflower, or the feathery plumes of ornamental grasses.