GAURA, also known as whirling butterfly, bee blossom and wanderflower, is a low-maintenance perennial.
Gaura foliage is lance-shaped and often tinged with pink, cream, or gold, depending on variety.
Wiry flower stems bear many flowers, each made of four petals. The flowers are white or pink, or a combination of the two.
Ranging from 15in to 4 ft tall they get their nickname of ‘whirling butterflies’ as they dance in the breeze.
One of the best features of gaura plants is the long bloom time, which is much longer than most perennials.
The heaviest blooming occurs early summer, but you can expect flushes of flowers to recur throughout the summer and into autumn.
Best planted in spring or autumn, Gaura tolerates extremes in heat and humidity, as well as the cold.
They grow best in poor, well draining soil, positioned in full sun tolerating afternoon shade, particularly in hot climates such as the Vega Baja.
Water infrequently, but deeply, to help the plants establish their deep roots.
Cut back stems after the first main bloom, to encourage a tidy plant and spur repeat blooming. Easy to propagate from seed or cuttings.
Many gaura varieties are hybrids, propagating from seeds collected yourself, or any seedlings emerging from self seeding, will not produce the same results as the mother plant. Gaura are vulnerable to are aphids in early summer.
