By Guest Columnist Eddie Smith
If you love pollinator plants or want to attract pollinator insects to your landscape, plant Caryopteris Gold Crest or Caryopteris Emerald Crest in your garden. These plants produce clusters of small, blue flowers that bloom late in the summer and throughout the fall. They are known for attracting butterflies and bees with their sweet nectar.
Caryopteris Gold Crest is a unique plant characterized by its bright golden foliage, which creates a stunning contrast to the plant’s blue flowers. I think the golden foliage is this plant’s best characteristic. Even when the plant is not in bloom, its foliage adds an undeniable charm, making Caryopteris Gold Crest an excellent addition to any garden.
I also really like Caryopteris Emerald Crest. Its striking emerald green foliage provides a beautiful backdrop for its blue flowers. Together, the emerald green foliage and blue flowers create a mesmerizing visual, adding a touch of beauty and elegance to the garden.
Both of these plants belong to the Lamiaceae family and are native to East Asia. They are deciduous shrubs that can grow up to three feet tall and four feet wide. They thrive in full sun or partial shade and prefer well-drained soil.
These plants are considered cold hardy in zones 5-9 on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Plant Hardiness Zone Map, making them great plants to grow throughout the South. Caryopteris plants are low-maintenance and caring for them is easy. They require minimal pruning and can survive drought conditions. In early spring, prune back any damaged or dead branches. You can prune these plants back to 12 inches to encourage them to keep a compact growth habit.
Both Caryopteris Gold Crest and Caryopteris Emerald Crest are deer-resistant, making them an excellent choice for gardens where deer are a problem. But having a deer-resistant plant does not guarantee the deer will stay away. If deer get hungry enough, they will eat just about anything to survive.
For low-maintenance and visually appealing selections to add to your landscape, you can’t go wrong with Caryopteris Emerald Crest and Caryopteris Gold Crest.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Eddie Smith is a gardening specialist and Pearl River County coordinator with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. He is also host of the popular Southern Gardening television programs. Locate Southern Gardening products online at http://extension.msstate.edu/shows/southern-gardening.]