Gaura
Oenothera lindheimeri
Also comes in white.
Gaura blooms from June through September.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Gaura
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–9. Expect it to reach about 2.6 ft tall and 2 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Gaura
Plant Gaura in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 9 range, spring means March to May and fall means September or October. Once settled, it blooms from June to September.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 7 in March.
Good to know about Gaura
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
Poor soil is the secret. Rich or wet ground is the main cause of flopping, weak flowering, and root rot, so lean, sharply drained soil keeps it sturdy. per NC State and Wisconsin
Low water or medium?
US extension guides call it low-water; two botanic gardens say medium. The difference is the first season: water regularly to establish, then it is strongly drought-tolerant. per NC State and Clemson
Bloom timing shifts by region
One source gives April to July, another August to October, and extension guides say early summer to first frost. The plant simply blooms for months, shifting with your region. per NC State and Wisconsin
Do not divide it
The deep woody taproot resents division and transplanting, and plants can be short-lived. Keep a patch going from self-sown seedlings or by replacing plants instead. per Wisconsin and NC State
Bees, not butterflies
Despite the name Whirling Butterflies, the main visitors are long-tongued bees and bumblebees; butterflies are only occasional. It is also a host plant for the white-lined sphinx moth. per NC State and Wisconsin
Deer resistant, not proof
Deer usually pass it by, but resistance is not absolute: one botanic source rates it only moderate, so hungry deer may still sample it. per NC State and Wisconsin
Self-sows readily
It readily self-sows in favorable conditions. Leaving spent flower stems standing into fall increases reseeding; cutting them back reduces it. Seedlings are the easy way to renew a patch. per Wisconsin and Missouri Botanical Garden
What pairs well with Gaura
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Sea Thrift
Shares full sun and low water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage.
Creeping Phlox
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Flowering Crabapple
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; stands well above at 20 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
Viburnum
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 6.6 ft, for the layer behind it.
Lilac
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 9.8 ft, for the layer behind it.
Crocus
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late winter, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 4 in, for the front of the border.
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