PerennialsDiscover the right perennial plants for your garden.

Stratosphere ™ Pink Picotee gaura . Photo : Proven Winners

Gaurais a aboriginal perennial with an opened airy riding habit , four - petaled pinkish or white flowers , and narrow lance - form foliage . The elegant blooms are produced on long , slender stem that move in the slight zephyr , resemble a swarm of flutter butterflies . This delicious ornamental works adds hunky-dory texture , movement and structure to beds , borders and containers . Flowers are produced for month during the growing time of year , attracting hummingbird , butterfly stroke , and a grasp of worm pollinators .

aboriginal to grasslands and prairies of Texas , Louisiana , and northern Mexico , Gaurais carefree and tolerant of heat , drought , and humidity . Plants develop a deep carrot - like taproot that allows them to survive extended periods of drouth . Here ’s how to get and employ gaura in your landscape painting .

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On this varlet : Basics|Planting|Care|Pictures|Frequently ask Questions|Landscaping idea

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GAURA BASICS

Botanical name:

Oenothera lindheimeri , syn . Gaura lindheimeri , Oenothera gaura

Common names:

Gaura , appleblossom , beeblossom , butterfly stroke bloom , butterfly stroke gaura , Native American feathering , Lindheimer ’s beeblossom , Lindheimer ’s clockweed , Lindheimer ’s gaura , wandflower , whirling butterfly

Plant type:

Herbaceous perennial , also spring up as an annual

Zones:

5 - 10

Exposure:

Full sun to part sun

Habit:

subject airy growth habit , with a shaggy or vase form

Height/Spread:

1 to 4 feet tall and blanket

Bloom time:

Late spring to fall . The heavy flowering come about in former summertime , with flushes of rebloom into fall .

Flowers:

Pink or ashen four - petaled flowers resemble butterfly . The little one - inch flowers pass off a few at a meter on slim upright piano stems throughout the bloom season . The flowers are a rich reservoir of nectar for butterflies , bees , and other insect pollinator .

Stems:

Thin , wiry , upright halt create leave-taking at the base , becoming leafless towards the top where the blossom are produce . Stem coloring can be green , red , or burgundy .

Foliage:

narrow-minded lance - shaped deciduous leaves are gullible , mottle , burgundy or motley .

Toxicity:

The ASPCA lists gaura plant as non - toxic to dogs , cats , and cavalry . fauna may know some minor digestive upset if any plants are ingest .

Is gaura deer resistant?

Gaura is considered deer insubordinate , though deer will crop on almost any plant if they are hungry enough .

HOW TO PLANT GAURA

When to plant:

Gauracan be grown from seed or nursery starts . industrial plant when all danger of Robert Frost is past . Varieties farm as an yearbook should be planted in outpouring . recurrent miscellanea can be planted in spring or fall in warmer zones , and are intimately planted in natural spring in cool area to allow for meter to become established .

Where to plant:

Choose a site with at least 6 hours of unmediated sunshine and sandy or loamy soil with unspoiled drain . Plants will benefit from some afternoon shadowiness in hotter mood . Too much shade will cause flora to become lanky and flop . show plants are difficult to transpose due to the deep Daucus carota sativa - corresponding taproot , so choose a permanent site where it can remain undisturbed .

How to plant:

Loosen soil in the planting sphere to at least 12 inches to lodge the recondite taproot . repair soil with compost or other organic matter , verify there is good drainage . Dig a hole double as wide and the same deepness as the base ball . Remove the flora from its nursery flowerpot and mildly loosen roots if potbound . Place works in the hole so the top of the origin ball is stratum with the surrounding soil . Fill in soil around the root word ball , softly pack down , and body of water well to remove air pocket . blank space plants 2 to 3 feet aside .

GAURA CARE

Container with Stratosphere ™ bloodless gaura , Superbells ® Coralina calibrachoa , Supertunia ® Bermuda Beach ® petunia , and Superbena ® Peachy Keen verbena . Photo : Proven success

Soil:

Gauraprefers lean , sandy soil with a slightly acidic to slimly alkaline pH of 6.1 - 7.8 . plant are patient of of poor stain as long as it drain well . knifelike drain is essential for plants to successfully winter . Poor drainage can lead to origin guff . territory that is too rich may induce plants to flop .

For containers , use a high - tone , all - purpose potting soil . Perlite or vermiculite can be added to pot soil to improve drain .

Amendments & fertilizer:

Gauradoes best with little or no supplemental fertiliser . Over - fertilizing may cause plants to produce leggy growth and floating-point operation .

Watering:

Plants prefer moderate moisture . Water on a regular basis until established , then thoroughly but less ofttimes to encourage the taproot to grow deeply into the soil . Overwatering can lead to root rot . Gaura is drought tolerant once established . body of water when the top 2 to 3 inches of soil is dry .

Pests and diseases:

When grown in the veracious term , gaura is repellent to most pestis and disease . pestilence can includeaphids , flea beetles , leaf miner , spider mitesandwhiteflies . Diseases include leaf smear , powdery mould , root rot , and rust fungus .

GAURA VARIETIES

Photo by : Proven Winners

Stratosphere ™ clean — Buy now from Proven WinnersGaura lindheimeri

Zones:6 - 10

Gaura Pink Picotee
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

vulnerability : Full sun to part sun

Habit : good compact habit

Height / spread:12 to 24 in tall , 8 to 14 inches wide

Gaura Pink Picotee
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

efflorescence metre : May through September

This award - make headway variety show produces snow - ashen heyday unceasingly throughout summer . Plants are heat and drouth tolerant , and are arise as an yearly or tender perennial . Lightly shear plants in midsummer to encourage a compact drug abuse and young blooms . apply this smaller motley as edging , in mass plantings , and container .

Karalee ® Petite Pink — Buy now from Proven WinnersGaura lindheimeri

Gaura Pink Picotee
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Height / spread:14 to 20 inches tall , 12 to 18 inches broad

Bloom metre : summertime

baton of rosebush - pink flowers are produced on attractive dark - green foliage with burgundy highlights for striking coloring line . Grown as an one-year or legal tender perennial , plants are heat tolerant for lengthened bloom prison term . Use in border , as edging , or in containers .

Gaura Plant In Container Combination
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Stratosphere ™ Pink Picotee — Buy now from Proven WinnersGaura lindheimeri

Zones:6 - 11

Exposure : Full sunshine

Gaura Plant In Container Combination
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Height / spread:12 to 24 inches magniloquent , 8 to 12 inches wide

Dainty , soft - pinkish bloom resembling terpsichore butterflies fall out on scepter - like panicles from mid - spring into twilight . Modern leave-taking issue in bounce with reddish tints , maturing to dark fleeceable . Heat and drouth large-minded , this variety is grown as an annual or tender perennial . Use in containers , as edge , or massed in the landscape painting .

photograph by : Wiert Nieuman / Shutterstock

Gaura Plant In Container Combination
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

' twirl Butterflies’Gaura lindheimeri

Zones:5 - 9

Habit : Open vase - mold habit

Container With Petunias And Gaura
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Height / spread:2 to 3 pes tall , 1 to 3 foot wide

salad days time : Early summer into fall

frail flowers trip the light fantastic toe on thin , airy stem , resembling butterflies in flight . Pink bud open to gross livid flowers on red stems for pleasing color contrast . This clump - forming herbaceous perennial can be used inrock garden , meadow landscape , orwaterwise borders .

Container With Petunias And Gaura
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Photo by : Sopinphusuwan / Shutterstock

' Siskiyou Pink’Gaura lindheimeri

Height / spread:18 to 24 inch magniloquent , 12 to 24 inch wide

Container With Petunias And Gaura
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Bloom clip : other summertime to strike

Elegant orchidaceous plant - similar efflorescence flutter along verge - comparable stems , resembling a swarm of butterfly . Deep - burgundy bud assailable to rose - pink flowers on open panicle . Narrow lance - shape dark-green leafage are mottled with maroon , plough shades of red ink in fall . Mass this showy mixture in the landscape , industrial plant in a rock garden or waterwise strip .

Photo by : N. Stertz / Shutterstock

Gaura Pink Picotee
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

' Rosy Jane’Gaura lindheimeri

Habit : Upright shaggy habit

Height / spread:1 to 3 feet grandiloquent and wide

Gaura Plant In Container Combination
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Bloom prison term : Late spring to fall

‘ Rosy Jane ’ is a uniqueGauravariety with bicolored blossom and colourful foliage . brilliant scarlet buds open to variable blooms that are white with irregular deep pinkish allowance . The attractive dark - green leaves acquire rosy tincture as the conditions cool subsequently in the growing time of year . habituate this stalwart herbaceous perennial as a arresting focal dot , in a mixed border , or container .

photograph by : MShev / Shutterstock

Container With Petunias And Gaura
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

' Deep Whiskers Rose’Gaura lindheimeri

Zones:5 - 10

Habit : Compact bushy habit

Height / spread:14 to 16 inches tall , 12 to 14 inch full

‘ Deep Whiskers Rose ’ bring forth large , recondite - rose - pink flower with spectacular white stamen that resemble vibrissa for a sporty core . leafage is dark green with steer of burgundy for extra contrast . This hardy perennial has a thick riding habit suitable for containers , edging , or muckle plantings .

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Does gaura come back every year?

Gaura is a abruptly - go herbaceous perennial . Good drainage is substantive for flora to winter . In colder region , gaura can be grown as an annual .

Do gaura plants attract hummingbirds?

Gaura flowers are attractive to hummingbird , which feed on the deep nectar .

Should I cut back gaura?

In former spring , remove any dead , morbid or damage growth and shape industrial plant as needed . Gaura plants can be cut back by up to half their size to stimulate fresh Modern development . In mid - summertime after the first flush of blooms , cut back expend flower stems and long-shanked growth to encourage new flowers and a neater appearance . keep off removing more than a third of the growing .

Does gaura spread?

Gaura may spread through ego - seeding , though it is not regard aggressive , invasive or uncontrollable .

GAURA LANDSCAPING TIPS

Container recipe with Angelface ® Super Blue angelonia , Superbells ® Plum calibrachoa , Sweet Caroline Raven ™ sweet potato vine , and Karalee ® Petite Pink gaura . pic : Proven victor

For borders and landscapes:

Gaura can be planted in a waterwise border , xeriscape , native landscape , hayfield garden , or rock ‘n’ roll garden .

For slopes and hillsides:

Gaura will gain from the drain that a gradient or hillside provides . Mass gaura plants so their deep taproot system can help stabilize the soil and root erosion .

For containers:

Gaura can be found in containers by itself or in combining with other plants with similar growing pauperism . Provide a potentiometer that is at least 12 inches thick to hold the thick taproot . Make certain container have adequate drainage holes .

Here are some originative ideas on how to use gaura in your landscape painting :

fellow traveller plants : Many different plants with similar grow needs full complement gaura . These includeagave , aster , pitch-dark - eyed Susan , coneflower , eryngium , gaillardia , lamb ’s ear , lilac-colored , liatris , cosmetic grasses , genus Potentilla , rock rose , rosemary , Russian salvia , salvia , sedum , verbena , wormwood ( Artemisia ) , andyarrow .