Blue Mist (Caryopteris x clandonensis): Nectarous Blue-Violet Profusion for Skippers and Zephyrs

Caryopteris x clandonensis is commonly known as bluebeard, blue mist shrub or blue spiraea.

It is a hybrid which was produced in 1930 by Arthur Simmonds (1892 - 1968), horticulturalist and secretary to the Royal Horticultural Society, through an accidental crossing of Caryopteris incana and Caryopteris mongholica.

Caryopteris mastacanthus, a synonym for Caryopteris incana, was brought back to England in 1845 from plant collecting expeditions to China conducted by Scottish botanist Robert Fortune (September 16, 1812 - April 13, 1880) under the auspices of the Horticultural Society of London.

Caryopteris x clandonensis spreads to 5 feet (1.5 meters). Its height stretches equiproportionately to 5 feet (1.5 meters) as well.

Downy leaves are serrated. Leaf shape is lanceolate, which means that, having the general shape of a lance, leaves are longer than wide and taper from a round, wide base to a tip. Leaves have an opposite arrangement on the stem, which means that they are paired on opposite sides of the stem from one another.

Leaves measure just under 4 inches (10 centimeters) in length. Uppersides of leaves are grey green to silver while undersides are grey white.

Leaves and stems emit an aroma reminiscent of eucalyptus (genus Eucalyptus).

Buds open in late summer to display deep blue to blue violet flowers.

A popular variety, ‘Worcester Gold’, has mauve blue flowers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which classes plants according to the coldest temperature at which they maintain viability, places Caryopteris x clandonensis in Zone 5 (-20° to -10° Fahrenheit; -29° to -23° Celsius) to Zone 9 (20° to 30° F; -7° to -1° C).

Caryopteris x clandonensis not only contributes visual interest to public and private gardens and parks but also expands the color spectrum of its neighborhood through its attraction to throngs of butterflies.

Four butterfly devotees of Caryopteris x clandonensis are

• zephyr anglewing (Polygonia gracilis zephyrus),
• common checkered skipper (Pyrgus communis).
• silver spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus), and
• yellow patch skipper (Polites peckius).

Polygonia gracilis zephyrus is commonly known as zephyr anglewing butterfly.

Its native territory radiates from the eastern Rockies, north to southern British Columbia and Alberta in Canada and throughout most of Idaho, south to southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Isolated populations are found in the western Dakotas and Nebraska.

Polygonia zephyrus is habituated to mountain forests with nearby streams and rivers.

Tawny golden orange uppersides with black splotches and submarginal rows of yellow sports are encased by irregular, ragged wing outlines accentuated by thick, dark brown edging. Shades of brown and grey that mottle the undersides lighten towards wing edges, giving a frosty or hoary appearance. The center of the underside of the hindwing is marked with a white comma. An alternative common name, hoary comma butterfly, derives from these two underside distinctions.

Wingspan measures 1-3/4 to 2 inches (4.4 to 5 centimeters).

In addition to Caryopteris x clandonensis, Polygonia zephyrus breezes towards asters (genus Aster), butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), coneflowers (genera Echinacea and Rudbeckia), and zinnias (genus Zinnia).

Pyrgus communis is commonly known as common checkered skipper.

This North American devotee hails from three countries:  southern Canada, the continental United States, and northern Mexico.

Pyrgus communis feels comfortable in sunny, open habitats with low vegetation. Favorite locales are fields, gardens, meadows, and prairies. Pyrgus communis also is contented with openings and trails in woods and with roadsides.

Gaudiness is not the style of Pyrgus communis. Its subdued blue grey upperside has gentle white splashings.

Its petite wingspan measures 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 centimeters).

In addition to Caryopteris x clandonensis, Pyrgus communis visits butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), coneflowers (genus Echinacea), ironweeds (genus Vernonia), and marigolds (genus Tagetes).

Epargyreus clarus is commonly known as silver-spotted skipper.

Epargyreus clarus is at home in the New World, where its range stretches south as far as northern Mexico and north into the southern fringes of Canada. Apart from the Great Basin and west Texas, Epargyreus clarus is found throughout the continental United States.

Epargyreus clarus basks in openness, flitting comfortably in canyons, fields, foothill streamsides, parks, and prairie waterways.

Brown to black wings are scored with luminous gold spots on the forewings.

Metallic silver bands on the underside of each hindwing flash visibly as Epargyreus clarus skips in a fast, erratic flight pattern from place to place.

Wingspan is 1-3/4 to 2-5/8 inches (4.5 to 6.7 centimeters).

In addition to Caryopteris x clandonensis, butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), and honeysuckle (genus Lonicera) are tempting to Epargyreus clarus.

Polites peckius is also known as yellow spotted skipper, yellow patch skipper, and Peck’s skipper. Scientific synonyms are Polites coras, Papilio cora, Hesperia peckius, and Hesperia wamsutta.

This New World native ranges across southern Canada from British Columbia to Nova Scotia and dips southwards in the United States from northeastern Oregon and southern Colorado east to northwest Arkansas and northern Georgia.

Polites peckius prefers open grassy habitats, such as lawns, marshes, meadows, prairies, and roadsides.

Uppersides intersperse brown with red orange patches. Hindwing undersides are splotched with large yellow spots rimmed by dark brown.

Wingspan measures 1 to 1-1/4 inches (2.5 to 3.2 centimeters).

In addition to Caryopteris x clandonensis, Polites peckius is fond of butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), goldenrods (genus Solidago), and lavenders (genus Lavandula).

Caryopteris x clandonensis has enjoyed unabated popularity ever since its fortuitously accidental creation. It provides a profusion of calm floral pastels at a time, later in the summer, that generally signals transition from estival (Latin: aestus, "heat") florescence to autumnal quiescence. Homo sapiens delights in the plant's cool hues, which freshen late summer's heat waves and which revitalize garden spaces. With its delicate beauty that belies its strength as a heat and drought tolerator, Caryopteris x clandonensis, shrugging off hot, dry summer days, offers predictable beauty and shade.

Butterflies, too, are charmed by Caryopteris x clandonensis, which seems to have been created for their own joyous sustenance. Caryopteris x clandonensis perfectly fulfills its role, inherited through its auspicious genes, as an "autumn-flowering . . . plant . . . of some importance."

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Nova Scotia Community College-Kingstec Campus Horticulture Facilities: magnolia1000, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/60548141@N00/5079132781/

Mastacanthus sinensis (former synonym of Caryopteris mastacanthus) by Sarah Ann Drake; Edwards' Botanical Register (1846), Plate 2: Public Domain, via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/243202; Possible copyright status Permission to digitize granted by rights holder, via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/mobot31753002748454/page/2/mode/1up

1848 portrait; F.W. Oliver, Makers of British Botany (1913), Plate XIV, opposite page 164: Public Domain, via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1073549; via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/stream/makersofbritishb00oliv#page/n204/mode/1up

Water Conservation Garden, Cuyamaca College, El Cajon, San Diego County, southern California: Stickpen, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caryopterisclandonensis.jpg

Caryopteris clandonensis 'Heavenly Blue'/Blauwbaard of blauwe spirea: Wouter Hagens, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caryopteris_clandonensis_A.jpg

Coyote Call Trail, Valles Caldera Natural Preserve-Santa Fe National Forest, northern New Mexico: Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble (Paul and Jill), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/pauljill/4961580253/

Coyote Call Trail, Valles Caldera Natural Preserve-Santa Fe National Forest, northern New Mexico: Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble (Paul and Jill), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/pauljill/4961580103/

Lakewood, north central Colorado: Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0 US, via Forestry Images @ https://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=5385880

Lakewood, north central Colorado: Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0 US, via Forestry Images @ https://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=5385883

Mason Neck State Park, Fairfax County, Northern Virginia: Virginia State Parks (vastateparksstaff), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MN_Silver-spotted_Skipper_(15018584701).jpg; CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/vastateparksstaff/15018584701/

Yosemite National Park, California: Sandy_R, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/35142635@N05/7437700226/

Loomis Park, Jackson City, Jackson County, Michigan: Don Henise (Kiskadee 3), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/kiskadee_3/8000773519/

Charles County, south central Maryland: Kerry Wixted, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/kwixted0/3837616475/

white hibiscus (Rose of Sharon; Hibiscus syriacus 'Diana') and bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis): Harvey Barrison from Massapequa NY, CC BY SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Longwood_2011_09_02_0283_(6160245089).jpg

Cladon-Bartblume (Caryopteris × clandonensis 'Heavenly Blue'): Simone, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Datei:Caryopteris_clandonensis.jpg&filetimestamp;=20070624155202

"Bees and butterflies love this flowering shrub.": Toby Garden, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/toby_garden/4977824466/

Finsterwalde, Brandenburg, northeastern Germany: Manu (lilli2de), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/seven_of9/6160095370/

Barton, Barb. “Polites peckius." (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. 2005. Regents of the University of Michigan. animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu

• Available at:  http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Polites_peckius/

"Common Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus communis (Grote, 1872). Butterflies and Moths of North America. Butterfly and Moth Information Network, Kelly Lotts and Thomas Naberhaus. Web. www.butterfliesandmoths.org

• Available at:  http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Pyrgus-communis

Flora: A Gardener’s Encyclopedia. Volume I: A-K. Portland OR: Timber Press, 2003.

"Hoary Comma Polygonia gracilis (Grote & Robinson, 1867)."  Butterflies and Moths of North America. Butterfly and Moth Information Network, Kelly Lotts and Thomas Naberhaus. Web. www.butterfliesandmoths.org

• Available at:  http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Polygonia-gracilis

Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton. "Caryopteris mastacanthus." Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Vol. CXL (111) (ser. 3: v. XVL [41]): Tab. 6799. London: L. Reeve & Co., 1885.

• Available via Internet Archive at:  https://archive.org/details/mobot31753002721865

Lindley, John. "Mastacanthus sinensis: Chinese Beardwort." Edwards's Botanical Register, Vol. IX (new series 32): Plate 2. London: James Ridgway and Sons, MDCCCXLVI (1846).

• Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library at: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/243202
• Available via Internet Archive at: https://archive.org/details/mobot31753002748454

Oliver, F.W., ed. Makers of British Botany; A Collection of Biographies by Living Botanists. Cambridge: University Press, 1913.

• Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library at: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1073430
• Available via Internet Archive at:  http://archive.org/details/makersofbritishb00oliv

Ortho's All About Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies. Des Moines IA: Meredith Books, 2001.

"Peck's Skipper Polites peckius (W. Kirby, 1837)." Butterflies and Moths of North America. Butterfly and Moth Information Network, Kelly Lotts and Thomas Naberhaus. Web. www.butterfliesandmoths.org

• Available at:  http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Polites-peckius

“Polygonia gracilis Hoary Comma.” Digital Atlas of Idaho > Biology > Insects > Lepidoptera Butterflies > Nymphalidae Brush-footed Butterflies. State of Idaho Board of Education. Web. http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/

• Available at:  http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/bio/insects/butrfly/btrfrm.htm

Roth, Sally. Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Backyard. Rodale Organic Gardening Book. Emmaus PA: Rodale, 2001.

"Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus (Cramer, 1775)." Butterflies and Moths of North America. Butterfly and Moth Information Network, Kelly Lotts and Thomas Naberhaus. Web. www.butterfliesandmoths.org

• Available at:  http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Epargyreus-clarus