The beard flower immediately catches the eye, especially with its bright blue flowers. It gives off a pleasant scent that also attracts bees and bumblebees.
The Beard Lily (Caryopteris) is a popular and easy-care ornamental plant for the garden. We show you how to plant them correctly and present the most beautiful varieties. There are also tips for a successful hibernation.
Beard flower: flowering time, properties and origin
Caryopteris (Caryopteris x clandonensis) is a species in the plant genus Caryopteris (Caryopteris ) from China. The genus belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae) and includes seven different species. By crossing two species, the hybrid Caryopteris x clandonensis was created, which has become very popular as an ornamental plant for the garden in our latitudes. The beard flower blooms from July to September and shines in bright blue. The deciduous subshrub grows up to a meter tall and wide, loses its grey-green foliage in winter and then often freezes back. However, the beard flower is perennial, drives out again and again in spring and blooms again in summer. An aromatic scent emanates from the green leaves.
Is the beard bee-friendly? The beard is not only beautiful to look at, but also pleases bees and bumblebees. The insects use the flower nectar as a food source in late summer and serve as a pollinator for the bearded beard.
The most beautiful varieties
Of the seven species that occur in Asia, only the hybrid Caryopteris x clandonensis is relevant to us. She was bred from Caryopteris incana and Caryopteris mongholica. Different varieties of bearded beard emerged, some of which we present here:
- Caryopterisx clandonensis 'Heavenly Blue': The beard flower 'Heavenly Blue' forms particularly many shoots and therefore also many flowers, which are in a deep blue or violetshine.
- Caryopterisx clandonensis 'Kew Blue': On the other hand, this variety does not grow very vigorously and In addition to the blue flowers, it is particularly noticeable due to its grey-green foliage.
- Caryopterisx clandonensis 'Grand Bleu': With over 100 cm the beard flower can ' Grand Bleu' grows relatively large and convinces with very dark blue flowers and dark green foliage.
- Caryopterisx clandonensis 'Dark Knight': The whisker 'Dark Knight' forms flowers in night blue color and grows up to 100 cm.
- Caryopterisx clandonensis 'Blue Balloon': The blossoms of the 'Blue Balloon' bearbet form spherical clusters and the bush itself grows spherical and compact.
- Caryopterisx clandonensis 'Blue Sparrow': The beard flower 'Blue Sparrow' develops dark blue flowers and grows to a height of about 70 cm. The leaves are glossy.
Planting bearded beard: location and procedure
The location of the beard flower should be sheltered, as sunny as possible and dry to fresh. A certain amount of soil moisture is beneficial, but waterlogging is much worse tolerated than drought. Especially in winter, heavy and wet soils make bearded flowers difficult. The soil should be humic, loose and slightly acidic or alkaline, because the beard flower has no problems with lime. If you plant the beard flower, you should keep a distance of at least 50 cm to other plants. The best time for planting is spring, so that the bearded beard can take root well. Planting can also be done in autumn. Dig a hole about twice the size of the root ball. If the soil is very heavy, some sand can be mixed in to increase permeability. Depending on the garden soil, mix in a little compost and place the bearded beard in the bed. Now fill in all gaps with soil, press the substrate on the surface and water well.
The beard flower can also be planted in a pot. A drainage layer should be created before planting to avoid waterlogging. But what kind of soil does the beard flower need in the bucket? A high-quality soil that remains structurally stable for a long time is suitable as a substrate. For example, our Plantura organic potting soil is ideal for this. It contains humus and is slightly acidic with a pH of 6.5. It provides flowering plants with the most important onesnutrients and can store water without becoming waterlogged. It also contains expanded clay, which improves permeability and structural stability. To increase the permeability even more, more expanded clay can be mixed in.
Combine bearded beard: what goes well with bearded beard?
There are many plants that you can combine with the whisker. Other shrubs in particular fit well, so that no plant goes under next to the other. Roses (Rosa), for example, go very well with the blue flowers of the Beard Lily. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) also looks good next to the beard flower. Yellow-flowering cinquefoils (Potentilla) also harmonize with the blossoms of bearded beard and can be used as ground cover in the surrounding area. It is important that the planting partners have similar location requirements as the beard flower. That said, they should prefer dry, well-drained soil and lots of sun.
Transplanting Bearded Beard:
If the location proves to be unsuitable, the bearded beard is transplanted in the spring. Since it has very deep roots, you have to dig deep so that all the roots are caught. A correspondingly deep planting hole should then be dug at the new location. After planting, you can take care of the beard flower as usual. Potted whiskers are repotted in the spring as soon as the old pot is fully rooted.
Is the whisker hardy?
As long as it is planted in a sheltered spot, the bearded beard is hardy. Temperatures from - 23 to - 17 °C are tolerated for a short period of time. The beard flower can freeze back to the base. But since it sprout strongly in the following spring, this is not a problem. To help the bearded beard through the cold season, you can mulch the soil around the wood, for example with a thick layer of leaves. The most important thing is to protect the roots.
If you keep the bearded beard in a pot, it should be placed on a block of wood. The pot is then wrapped in jute or a similar protective material. Overwintering at temperatures of up to 0 °C in a sheltered place is ideal. To prevent the soil from drying out completely, it should be watered moderately from time to time.
Propagate Bearded Beard
It is possible to propagate the beard flower, but thefirst bloom long in coming. In addition to propagation by seeds, beard flower cuttings are mainly used.
In July/August, cut young shoots from the mother plant that are about 10 to 15 cm long to propagate by cuttings. These should only be slightly woody and should be cut off with a sharp knife. Remove the lower leaves and place the cuttings in a nutrient-poor growing medium. Here, for example, you can use our Plantura organic herb & seed soil , which is specially designed to meet the needs of young plants. It consists of natural raw materials and contains no peat. If the shoots are already very lignified, rooting powder should be used. A bright window sill without direct sunlight offers a good location for germination. Temperatures between 16 and 18 °C are required for the cuttings to grow. Keep the soil moist and repot the seedlings if necessary until they are big enough for the flower bed.
Tip: The softer the shoots are, the easier they are to root. You can also overwinter the mother plant in the greenhouse and then cut the freshly formed head cuttings in March.
Alternatively, you can collect ripe fruit from the bearded flowers in late summer or early autumn and use the seeds for propagation. The seeds are then dried and stored at room temperature over the winter. Sowing should be done in March or April. Cover the seeds lightly with soil and cover the pot with a plastic bag or jar.
Is the beard flower poisonous?
The Beard Lily is not poisonous to humans or pets. So you don't have to worry about dogs, cats and children and you can plant the beard flower in the garden without hesitation.
Would you like to have more bee-friendly plants in your garden? We share tips on planting a bee pasture.