Caryopteris / Bluebeard

There are few true blues in the gardening world, but caryopteris / bluebeard / blue spirea / blue-mist comes close. Either a shrub or a woody perennial, bluebeards form a low, neat mound that's drought tolerant, pest resistant, and virtually maintenance free. Blooms appear by the hundreds in late summer, typically in shades of blue or purple, clustered in panicles above the foliage, and draw in butterflies and beneficial insects. The foliage, which is blue-green, silvery-gray to yellow, or variegated, is also quite lovely.