Oenothera lindheimeri(syn.Gaura lindheimeri)
Showy and low maintenance , gaura , also known as beeblossom , is a North American aborigine that ’s highly democratic as a cultivated wildflower .
Plants have an open shape , with long , waving wands dotted with finespun , fluttering flowers and deep , fortunate bud that rise above heavy clumps of dark foliage .
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Photo by Lorna Kring.
Waving in a breeze , the starry flowers calculate like clouds of butterflies , resplendent in shades of cherry tree to pale pink , white , and bicolor combos – and they have an exceptionally prospicient flowering season , blooming profusely from early summertime right until frost .
Plants limb thickly , sending up masses of tilt stem that make adorable accents or specimen .
With casual grace , the magniloquent species plants are merely spectacular when massed into small glob or large drifts in cottage and wild flower garden or xeriscapes .
Photo by Lorna Kring.
And the compact midget cultivars are idealistic for beds , containers , planter , or rock gardens .
The masses of vivid peak are a magnet for pollinators such as bee , butterflies , and hummingbirds but flora are resistive to herbivores like deer and rabbits .
A resilient , tight - growing perennial , gaura is indigenous to portion of the southern US where it thrives in gamy hotness , hot grease , and humidity . Plus , plants have good inhuman hardiness and fantabulous drought tolerance .
Are you ready for a showy , easy - care perennial that flowers for month ? Then connect us now and translate along for all the details on how to acquire and manage for gaura !
Here ’s what you ’ll get wind about up ahead :
What You’ll Learn
What Is Gaura?
Gaura , Oenothera lindheimeri , is an herbaceous repeated species that grows 15 to 60 in marvellous and spreads up to 36 column inch in dense , basal ball .
Also known as beeblossom , butterfly flower , verge efflorescence , and whirling butterflies , the long , wiry flower stems go on to elongate as they arise .
They ’re continuously debase with bud and finespun , one - inch , four - petaled flowers with a butterfly stroke or starry physique in shades of deep cherry , pale pink , bloodless , and bicolor combinations .
The dark Burgundy wine - to - pinkish bud are borne on long , terminal panicles and open a few at a time , for a non - stop exhibit of dancing bloom .
The foliage is minute and cup or lance - influence , and depending on the cultivar , can be mottled or ting in burgundy , or variegated with cream or gold .
Along with the masses of dainty , unscented flowers , a favorite feature film is the long bloom time , which is among the best of garden perennial .
The gruelling flowering occur in other summertime , with repeat flushes throughout summertime and another intemperate bloom in other autumn . Flowering slack more or less , but does n’t stop , through the heating system of high-pitched summer .
These hardy plant are aboriginal to full sun grassland and prairies , growing in lean , well - run out soil with a granulose or sandy grain . They also take form a long , boneheaded taproot that gives them honest drought protection .
The foliage pass back to the ground in a knockout freeze but often remains evergreen plant in frost - free region . New shoot are a small slow to emerge in spring and usually show up halfway through the time of year .
dependably hardy in USDA zona 5 to 9 , gaura is extremely resilient to the elements and take aim gamy heat and humidness in stride .
Cultivation and History
Native to Louisiana , Texas , and Mexico , gaura is a refined prairie plant that sways in colorful cloud with a light breeze – and is competently named from the ancient Grecian news for majestic or fantabulous , gauros .
The mintage epithetlindheimeriis named after Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer , a German - born botanist who collected primarily from the Texas frontier , becoming the first nonmigratory plant collector in the country .
As gaura increase in popularity for household gardens , in the other nineties breeders introduced more compact cultivars with a goodish wont that are well - suit for bed , borders , and containers .
And as a result of taxonomic research , in the early 2000sGauraspecies were moved into the genusOenothera , andGauralindheimeribecameOenothera lindheimeri .
This species was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society ’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993 .
Gaura Plant Propagation
Gaura is easily circulate from seed or via basal and softwood cut in spring , or semi - ripe cutting in summertime . Division is hard due to the taproot of these plants .
Basal or Softwood Cuttings
To broadcast with basal or deal cuttings , begin in former saltation . Use a clean-living , sharp tongue to cut five - column inch shoots at the base of bow or remove five - in section from prow tips .
With basal cutting , cut stems close to the crown , but not into it .
Cuttings from semi - right wood can be taken from non - flowering stems in summer .
Remove leaves from the blue one-half of the cuttings and dip in rootle hormone if desired .
sate four- to six - in potful with a finely textured starter filth .
sneak in the stems up to the first hardening of leaves then softly tauten the soil around them .
urine slowly until the soil is evenly moist .
lieu can in a protected outdoor location that provide good afternoon refinement .
Keep the dirt softly moist , watering as needed . rout takes place in four to six weeks , and raw growth can take up to eight weeks .
After new growing appears , transplanting into mid - sized containers about 10 in tall and wide , keeping the grease lightly moist until plants are establish .
organ transplant springiness cuttings into bed and containers in early July when plants have filled out .
Summer cutting from semi - ripe wood are best transfer out the following spring , allowing the roots to raise and develop over the declination .
From Seed
Gaura is easily started from seed and can be sown in saltation or gloam .
For flowers that bloom in the first twelvemonth , start seeds indoors eight to 10 weeks before the last frost date .
Fill cellular telephone flatbed , tray , or diminished pots with a light textured starter mix . Water the filth gently until evenly moist .
sparge seeds equally and scantily cover with one - one-eighth of an inch of filth .
invest in a shining location and maintain temperature between 65 and 75 ° fluorine . Germination should happen in 14 to 30 Day . Keep the soil moist .
When seedlings are six inch grandiloquent , cut back by half to further branching and thickset growth . transpose out into mid - sized containers in early spring .
Move into lasting container or plant out in the garden in other July when works are bushier .
For direct sowing , in spring after the danger of hoar has pass or in early autumn , spread seeds equally over inclined soil and softly press them in . Cover light with stain and water to dampen .
Maintain soil moisture . When seedlings are six inches marvelous , abridge them back by one-half to advance compact growth and branching .
Gaura also self - seeds promptly and may tame in favourable condition .
How to Grow Beeblossom Flowers
Although gaura adapts well to angle soil , it does well in fertile , well - draining territory with a neutral pH , tolerate slightly acidic to slimly alkaline soil with a pH grade from 6.1 to 7.8 .
Plants can tolerate light shade , peculiarly in very hot area , but blossom best in full sun .
To cook the planting land site , in spring untie grease to a depth of 12 inches then mix in a shovelful ofcompostor well - decompose manure .
Avoid impart too much organic stuff as plants can become leggy in soil that ’s too ample .
To avoid ascendent waste from wet grunge , amend with a shovelful of granite chips , landscape painting sand , or pea plant crushed rock to improve drainage as necessitate . Orplant in a raised bedin areas with heavy winter wet .
Mix in a tablespoon or two ofbone meal to help establish strong , good for you roots .
Set new graft in property with the jacket crown above the soil blood , space them 12 to 36 inches aside , depending on the cultivar .
Backfill with soil and firm lightly then water lightly to finalise .
Water weekly until plants are established , allowing the top in of soil to dry out between software .
Once shew , water only in dry conditions , permit the top two to three inches of soil to dry out between software and watering deep to ensure all roots have moisture .
Also , it may be unmanageable to keep large mintage industrial plant upright , especially after rainfall , and they can benefit from nearby perennials to prop them up .
employ low - growing woody or semi - woody plants as “ shoulders ” that can support the tip wand , such asazaleas , lilac-colored , sage , spirea , rosemary , orviburnum . Place them 12 to 18 inches in front of the gaura for support .
Container Growth
For container , use can at least 12 in tall to accommodate the prospicient taproot .
Ensure container have drainage holes . I incubate the base with a two - inch layer of drainage textile such as rugged clayware or pebble .
Fill containers with a fertile soil with a sandlike or gritty grain and mix in one to two tablespoon of bone meal .
hardened plants in place then backfill with soil , keeping the treetop above the ground line . Gently firm in place .
Locate container and planters in a sunny spot and water when the top two inches of grime are dry .
Growing Tips
Gaura is low care and well domesticate , and the follow wind help ensure robust , healthy plants :
Now let ’s look at how to prune and maintain beeblossom for owing display .
Pruning and Maintenance
Although deadheading is n’t necessary , for a longer grow season , cut back the flower halt in midsummer to spur reblooming in two or three week .
This also helps to keep orotund varieties tidy and summary .
After the first grueling frost , or after blossoming has finished in frost - free zones , rationalise back all the foliage to the primer and clean up any debris to prevent pestilence from winter .
If you ’re gardening in a frost - free area where the flora remain evergreen , cut them back hard in former outpouring to eight inches to boost compact , shaggy outgrowth .
To encourage thickset growth with abundant flowers , fertilize sparingly .
In territory that ’s too rich , or when plant are overfed , they can become leggy or the long flower stanch may fall flat .
In outpouring , once newfangled emergence emerges , apply a two - inch layer of compost over the root zona , observe it clear of the treetop to avoid snare wet .
An alternative to compost is to scratch in a slow - release fertilizer in mid - spring , using an all - purpose formula such as 20 - 20 - 20 NPK .
For container plant , add a second feeding in June 21 .
To thin out self - seeding or to maintain a tidier , more thick form , employ clean , piercing shear to cut back plants by up to half in late outpouring . At the same prison term , selectively withdraw some of the outer stems cheeseparing to the earth to trim back overall girth .
For gardens in Zone 7 or cold region , provide plant with a four- to six - column inch bed of mulch to protect the beginning against freeze and thaw cycles .
Use innocent - flowing materials such as small pebbles or pea crushed rock to quash issues like root rot . Container plant should be moved into protected sites and insulate against the frigidness .
If containers are motivate into areas with no rain , like an unheated service department or shed , weewee lightly once a calendar month to keep the roots alive . But do n’t irrigate if the soil is frozen .
Gaura self - seed promptly and seeds can be collected from midsummer on , but many intercrossed varieties wo n’t produce true to the mother plant .
To ensure offspring are as attractive as the parent , propagate cultivar using the fore cutting method outlined in the propagation section above to produce knockoff .
Beeblossom Cultivars to Select
A beautiful metal money works , native gaura ( O. lindheimeri ) has a large , open habit – like its southerly grassland home plate .
The long , graceful radical are loaded with rosy pinkish bud , opening into fluttering white flowers that fade into pink as they get on , then deepen to rosy pink before drop off .
The lance - shape , mid - green foliage darkens middling in declivity and plant life flower steady from early summer to frost .
These vigorous plant form sizable clumps of 24 to 48 in tall with a 24- to 36 - in spread head and await magnificent grouped into large gallery , meadows , and butterfly , cottage , or wildflower gardens . It ’s fearless in geographical zone 5 to 9 .
Gaura Seeds
Native gaura seeds areavailable at Walmart .
There are also several beautiful gaura varieties to choose from , and all have a good tolerance for drought , estrus , and humidness . Here are a few suggestions to get you commence .
Gambit
A summary , mound plant , ‘ Gambit ’ features wave of live pink , starry peak carry on vertical stems from early summertime into autumn .
The narrow , lance - work leaves are variegated cream and dark green , and heavily flushed with maroon in spring and again in fall .
‘ Gambit ’
A beautiful choice for bed , perimeter , containers , and in wildflower or prairie planting , ‘ ploy ’ has a mature height of 16 to 20 in and spreads 12 to 16 inches . It ’s hardy in Zones 6 to 9 .
Plants areavailable at Burpee .
Rosy Jane
A compact , eye - catching performer ‘ Rosy Jane ’ have people of bicolor blossom from other summer into other fall . These have a clean Qaeda with bubblegum pink picotee edging .
The floating prime brood above big , dark green foliage that ’s splashed with purple and takes on redder tone of voice in the cool of autumn .
Dense and cut with clouds of color , ‘ Rosy Jane ’ has a fledged height and cattle ranch of up to 24 inch .
‘ Rosy Jane ’
The summary size and long season make this variety ideal for borders , container , edging , and rockery , or it may be massed in low radical to large drifts . Hardy in Zones 5 to 9 .
Siskiyou Pink
A bicolored beauty , ‘ Siskiyou Pink ’ displays blossom stem with a beautiful combination of maroon buds that open to pretty pink . It bloom all summertime and into downfall .
The bright green foliage is gently mottled with Bourgogne and takes on rich red shades in autumn .
‘ Siskiyou Pink ’ has a elevation and spread of 24 to 36 inches and stool a dependable , heart - catching accession in bed , foundations , islands , and bungalow garden , or when paired with other aboriginal flowers and grasses in wildflower garden .
‘ Siskiyou Pink ’
This cultivar does not ego - cum and is hardy in Zones 5 to 9 .
Plants areavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Managing Pests and Disease
Gaura plants are generally easygoing - aid , but there are a few issues to watch for .
The most coarse pests are sapsucker , likeaphids , along withspider mitesandwhiteflies , causing trouble such as galls on stems or foliation that bleach , curls , or yellows .
aphid and wanderer touch can often be bump off with a potent stream of water from thegarden hosebut they can re-emerge – hold plants every two or three days and repeat spray until they stay away .
For more serious infestations of aphid or touch , and for whiteflies , an insecticidal easy lay may be needed to conclude the problem .
soap with natural Melia Azadirachta oil can be an effective solution for these pest – Neem Max from Bonide can control all three and isavailable at Arbico Organics .
Bonide Captain Jack ’s Neem Max
Beeblossom ’s long taproot can be susceptible to rot when grown in clayey or pie-eyed soil . Ensure plants are set in a well - draining medium or works in raised beds to ameliorate drainage .
Fungal job such aspowdery mold , a ashen or grizzly fuzzy stamp , and rust – brownish to rust - colored boils – can make stem flop , yellowing leafage , and overall declination .
The aforementioned Neem Max is also an efficient antifungal and it can be used to treat these problems as well .
Best Uses for Gaura Flowers
The loose , airy appearance of specie gaura is well suitable to loose setting and mixes well with annuals , Gunter Grass , and other perennial .
bring beautiful color and apparent movement to mixed beds , containers , initiation , island , and in butterfly stroke , bungalow , and domesticate orwildflower gardens .
Dwarf cultivar are more contained in their growth and intimately suited for borders , patio planters , and rock gardens .
For dramatic effect , cluster into small groups or gravid gallery . Or mix them into a native wildflower radical with the likes ofechinacea , gaillardia , orliatris .
And with their long flowering time , they make an fantabulous addition to the fall garden to complimentastersandchrysanthemums .
A recent addition in my Zone 9 garden , gaura has chop-chop become a favorite for its consistently abundant and steady blossom production over summertime and into other November , when frosty nights arrive .
Not only does it produce bright , sheer flowers , the foliage deepen and darkens in fall , morphing from Burgundy wine - ting to full - on burgundy , vino red , and violet tonus – a real show-stopper in the autumn garden !
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Whirling Delights
With airy , everyday charm , load of dancing flowers , and a long flowering time of year , gaura is certain to please in any garden !
For the best execution , be sure they ’re planted in full Dominicus with well - debilitate soil . And for upright industrial plant with plenty of flowers , do n’t over - fertilize .
Use the taller coinage plant life in spacious configurations where they can persuade and dance at will , and the minor dwarf varieties for more qualified development – whichever you choose , you ’ll love their delightful , whirling prime .
Andfor more native efflorescence selections , be sure to read these guides next :
Photo by Lorna Kring © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL right wing RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Cartesian product pic via Arbico Organics , Burpee , Nature Hills Nursery , and Walmart . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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