Growing Gaura- whirling butterfly
plant or Bee Blossom
Gaura
seems to be this year’s popular plant, being featured in some prominent garden
speakers seminars this spring. Gaura is
native to Northern Mexico, Texas and Louisiana and thrives on heat and
humidity. And although in some areas
ranchers and farmers may consider Gaura to be an unwanted invader, many
gardeners will want to invite this graceful, dainty plant into their
gardens. Gaura, sometimes called Bee
Blossom, is tough and virtually pest and disease free. The airy delicate flowers of this North American
native lend grace to any sunny garden.
Gaura
is excellent perennial for naturalized
gardens and butterfly gardens. It looks
great tucked among ornamental grasses in sunny borders. Gaura looks best in clumps of several plants
in mixed borders. The varieties with colorful foliage are excellent for color
in the border even after the flowers fade. Gaura also makes an airy filler in
large containers.
Gaura
begins each spring as a rosette of basal foliage, leaves can be green,
burgundy, or variegated with cream and gold.
The leaves on the basal clump are long and narrow. This clump is not very high, 18 inches at the
most.
Gaura
sends up a profusion of wiry wands, or flower spikes beginning in early
summer. The leaves on these spikes are
smaller and narrower than on the basal clump, the top of the spike is
leafless. The flowering spikes of gaura
can reach up to four feet high in a good location. Near the top of the wand long narrow buds
will open to reveal small, four petal flowers.
Gaura
flowers dangle and dance in the slightest breeze resembling butterflies
hovering over the plants. The flowers
are small, an inch or two long, and come in white or shades of pink ranging
from deep, hot pink to pale shell pink.
The stamens stick well out of the flowers, resembling butterfly legs
beneath petal wings to some. Gaura
flowers are loved by bees and butterflies, the reason for the common name, Bee
Blossom.
The gaura plant grows from a rhizome that is not shy about spreading through the
garden. Gaura also spreads by
seeds. Gardeners should take care to see
that gaura is confined to spots where it is wanted.
Some varieties
‘Blushing
Butterfly’ has soft pink flowers over a compact plant. ‘Pink Cloud’ has an
extra long and heavy flowering habit, with bright pink flowers. ‘Siskiyou Pink’ has deep pink flowers and red
stems. ‘Whirling Butterflies’ is white
with red stems. ‘Sunny Butterflies’ has
medium pink flowers edged in white. ’Crimson Butterflies’ has hot pink flowers
over red foliage and red stems. ‘Passionate Rainbow’ has interesting variegated
foliage of burgundy, pink, cream and gold and bright pink flowers.
Growing Gaura
Gaura
is a short-lived perennial, which means you will probably have to replace it
every three years or so if you have not let it spread in the garden. Gardeners in zone 5 can grow it in a
protected spot with heavy winter mulch. Above zone 5 it is reliably hardy.
Gardeners
will probably start with potted plants.
Plant the gaura in a sunny spot.
After it is established it is drought tolerant and thrives in dry
areas. Gaura is not fussy about soil
type or ph. A little slow release
fertilizer in the spring as growth begins will increase flowering.
Gaura
flowers for a long period of time.
Gardeners can increase the number of flowers and lengthen the flowering
cycle by trimming off each flower spike down to the base as soon as it finishes
blooming. Keeping the flower spikes
trimmed off also keeps the plants looking tidy.
A midsummer application of slow release fertilizer and watering when it
is very dry will also increase bloom.
Gaura
has few disease or insect problems and even deer don’t like to eat it. In zone 6 and higher winter preparation will
simply be cutting off old flower spikes.
In zone 5 a heavy mulch should be
applied over the basal rosette after the ground is frozen. Gaura is easily divided by lifting clumps in
the early spring and pulling apart clumps of rhizomes.
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