Small, fast growing deciduous shrub (H 0,8-1,2 m, W 1,2-1,5 m). Bark light grey to light brown-grey. Branches thin, open, arching. Leaves lanceolate (4-6 cm), variegated, bright yellow to green-yellow with a green margin, scented. Flowers numerous, small, in axilary inflorescence along the young shoots, mid light blue, scented. Flowering period: August-October. Fruits small dry nutlets, in umbells, light brown, ornamental, persist on branches long into winter. Attracts butterflies and bees. Requires light, moderately dry, well-drained soils, in sunny, warm, sheltered sites. Some young branchlets may die in winter, but the shrub grows back well in spring. Caryopteris × clandonensis is a cross between C. incana and C. mongholica.
Plants for destinctively sunny sites need and tolerate a lot of direct sun radiation (eg. roses, even more spurge (euphorbia myrsinites) , sea buckthorn, sedum, most of rock-garden plants, cactuses etc). Mostly, but not necessarily, these plants can also tolerate drought. Roses need more water and noursihments and rich, deep, fetile soil, while white stonecrop survives more weeks in dry soil without rain or watering and can grow normally in poor, sandy soil as well.
Decidious have woody stems (i. e. tree trunk and branches) and are also called woody plants or trees. Leaves are normally broad, soft and thin.
The plant develops new leaves or needles every spring, which dropp off in autumn. Herbaceous plants can die completely in above ground section and grow back in the spring.
Plant can in otherwise appropriate environment survive cold down to - 23 °C.
Porous or dry soils are normally light and loose, there is no stagnant water but relatively quickly flows in deeper layers; such ground are more airy and warmer, yet drier and usually contain less humus and for such undergrowth it is often to for drought to appear (e. g. rockgardens, walls, by paths and roads, on gravel, also on gravel surface in towns and close to buildings ...), plants of such undergrowth need well-drained soil, they tolerate drought but cannot tolerate constant moisture or even flooding.
Woody plant, normally branched at the ground level into several side stems, usually lacks of a dominant stem. Tree top can be of different shapes, dense or thin, symetric or uneven. Most shrubs reach a height of 1 to 2 metres, but some can grow much higher (up to 8 m); some can grow into very low or carpet-like forms.
Variegated leaves show patterns of different colours, mostly white or yellow pattern on green base. Patterns can appear in forms of stripes, dots, patches, trims, uneven shapes, or colour is splashed over leaf surface; different colour patterns may have sharp borderlines or change softly one to another. Colour intensivity and needle/leaves patterns formation on certain plant may vary greatly according to general plant health and condition, age, maintanance (trimming and care); other factors such as weather, microclimate, sun or shade, presence of plant nutrients and water may also affect greatly on leaf colour. Colouring and patterns on leaves may be affected - changed - by the age of certain leaf or twig and through seasons.
