When I purchased my first gaura plant it was labeled as, “Whirling Butterflies.” I love that name; it perfectly describes the delicate flowers that gently wave in the wind. The name is also appropriate because the flowers in the breeze mimic butterflies fluttering around.
Gaura is a member of the evening primrose family or Onagraceae family, native to North America. It is more commonly known as Bee Blossom or Wand Flower. These plants are relatively easy to care for, drought tolerant and rabbit/deer resistant.
Description
Guara are upright perennial plants with thick, elongated dark green leaves with pink tones on the stems. The delicate flower clusters are perched on long wispy stems. The lengthy stems allow the flowers to charmingly sway in the wind. It is a lovely plant to have in the yard because of its pleasant foliage and the blooms attract many helpful visitors to the garden such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The flowers come in white, light pink and dark pink.
Interesting Facts
- Gaura is named from the Greek word “gauros” meaning “superb” in reference to the beauty of the flowers.
- Gaura is a native perennial plant in North America: Texas, Louisiana and Mexico.
- Gaura is deer and rabbit resistant.
- Gaura is long blooming, starting in summer and continuing through the fall.
- Gaura can thrive in the extreme summer heat and the freezing winter temperatures as cold as minus 20 degrees fahrenheit.
- Gaura does not like to be fertilized and it could cause the plants to droop.
- Gaura has a long tap root helping the plant being extremely drought resistant.
- Gaura is considered a not-long-lived perennial, only living for 4-5 years.
Care
One of the best attributes of gaura is that it is so easy to care for and very pest resistant. The plants that I have grown are planted in the ground and in full sun, although they can thrive with afternoon shade. The native soil in my yard is very sandy and nutrient deficient, so it is a true testament that gaura is not picky about the soil it is growing in. My native soil’s only redeeming quality is that it is well draining. Well draining soil is great for gaura because they do not like wet roots and are susceptible to root rot. If they do not have well draining soil in winter they will not come back in the spring.
Full sun in my landscape means that the plant will receive full afternoon sun and in the summer that can mean temperatures consistently over 100 degrees fahrenheit for several weeks in a row. This year we had two weeks of weather at a scorching 116 degrees and my gaura plants sailed through without any problems. The leaves did not curl or burn and they started to bloom at the end of July. This shows how tough these plants can be!
Gaura has a large main tap root. This helps the plants not only survive but thrive during times of drying out between watering making them an ideal low water usage plant. I have always had my gaura plants on a drip irrigation system and they have done quite well.
I have not had pest issues with my gaura plants in the past and I have read that they are not known to attract pests.
In the winter they will die back when the freezing temperatures start. That is when I will trim the plants back to about 6” from the ground and the plants will come back in the spring.
Trimming spent flowers will encourage the plant to produce more blooms. This will allow you to have more than one round of blossoms during the blooming season.
Gaura will also grow well planted in pots. Since they do have a large tap root, make sure you have a deep enough pot with well draining soil and treat the plant as you would if it were planted in the ground.
Propagation
I have had luck starting these wonderful plants from seed. Use your favorite seed starting mix and place the seed in the pot of your choice. Cover the seed with 1/4” of moistened soil. Be patient, it can take up to 2-4 weeks for seedlings to emerge. Once your sprouts have 2-3 true leaves, then they are ready to be planted outside.
I have read that you can propagate Gaura through cuttings. I have not personally tried this method yet and I am looking forward to attempting it. I have read to cut a stem from the base, making sure not to cut a flower stem. Make your cut beneath a leaf node ensuring you do not damage the crown. Make another cut 4” – 5” above your first cut. Dip the end from the first cut in powdered rooting hormone and plant it in a 1 gallon pot with moistened potting mix. Place a plastic bag over the cutting to retain moisture and make sure to check the soil daily. You do not want the soil to ever dry out. You can expect to see evidence of growth in about 1-2 months.
Companion Planting
Gaura is an excellent plant for companion planting! One of the reasons that gaura is so great in the garden and landscape is that it attracts so many different species of pollinators. So a pollinator friendly herb garden with lavender, sage and rosemary would be one use for gaura.
Another landscape option with gaura would be a prairie or cottage style garden. Gaura will add height and with the attractive flowing flowers it would be a perfect addition.
Along with the prairie style landscape, gaura is attractive with different varieties of grasses. Gaura with the grasses or wildflower gardens would add a pleasing and calming flow to the garden with the added movement in the breeze.
Gaura can be added to xeriscaping and low water usage gardens because of its drought tolerance and that it likes full sun. Consider adding succulents, sedum or agave with the gaura for this style of garden.
The last type of garden gaura would be a pleasant addition to is perennial gardens. Plant gaura with coneflowers, black eyed susan, russian sage, or yarrow for a lovely combination of flowers.
These are just a few ideas and suggestions on where to plant gaura and some plant combinations.
Quick Facts: Gaura
| Plant Type | Perennial |
| Mature Size | 2’ wide, 4’ tall |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun, partial shade |
| Soil Type | All soil types that are well draining |
| Bloom Time | Summer, Fall |
| Flower Color | White, Dark Pink, Light Pink |
| Flower Shape | Delicate, starry shaped on long thin stems |
| Pollinator Friendly | Yes |
| Cold Hardiness Zones | 5 – 9 |
| Drought-Tolerant | Yes |
| Propagate | Cuttings or seed |
| Unique Characteristics | Drought tolerant Deer and rabbit resistant North American native perennial flower Can handle extreme heat and cold Fertilizing can cause the plant to droop |
Gaura has been one of my favorite plants for a long time because it is so charming to have in the landscape, pollinators love it, it does well for me and it is easy to care for. I hope you give gaura a try and that you have as much luck with it as I do!
Happy desert gardening and don’t forget to take time to enjoy your garden!
Joy Simper has a full time job as a home schooling stay at home mom. She is the one that holds the house and yard together and keeps the kids in line. She enjoys gardening, including seed starting and propagating plants.