Ornamental · Onagraceae
Gaura
Gaura lindheimeri
Give it full sun and lean, well-drained soil and gaura will reward you with clouds of butterfly-like blooms from spring to frost.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 5–9
3–5 ft · 0.9–1.5 m
Overview
The moment a breeze catches it, you will see how gaura earned the name whirling butterflies. Its slender wands lift small white or pink flowers that seem to hover and flutter above the leaves. This is a tough, taprooted perennial in the Onagraceae family, and it feels right at home in tight, lean soil where fussier plants would sulk, so you do not need to coddle it.
The lovely thing about gaura is how little it asks of you. A deep taproot carries it through drought and heat once it has settled, and it truly blooms harder in poor ground than in pampered beds. The one catch is that its thin, wiry stems can flop, so it is happiest in full sun with a little room and a sturdy neighbor or two to lean on.
Hardy through zones 5 to 9, gaura keeps flowering from late spring or summer right up to the first fall frost. Pollinators adore it, and that long, airy bloom season makes it a quiet, dependable friend at the front or middle of a sunny border, even for a first-time grower.
Care
The short version: give it full sun, lean and sharply drained soil, and a deep drink now and then. Go easy on the feeding, deadhead to keep the blooms coming, and cut back floppy stems for a fresh flush.
Light
Gaura wants full sun to flower its best and stand up tall. It will put up with a little partial shade, but in too much shade the stems stretch, flop, and give you far fewer flowers.
Water
Once it has settled in, the deep taproot carries gaura through drought and heat with ease, so you can breathe easy on hot days. Water moderately, letting the top half of the soil dry between drinks, and steer clear of soggy ground, which brings on root rot. Aim for a deep soak every 7 to 14 days rather than little and often.
Soil
Plant it in sandy or loamy, sharply drained soil, because good drainage is the one thing gaura truly cannot go without. A slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.5 suits it nicely. Skip the rich, heavily amended beds, which push leafy growth at the cost of flowers.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is all it needs, so there is no number for you to chase. Airflow matters far more here, since crowded, still foliage is what lets powdery mildew and rust take hold.
Feeding
Gaura flowers best on a lean diet, so feed only lightly during the growing season, if at all, and you cannot really go wrong by holding back. Rich or heavily fertilized soil reduces flowering and feeds floppy stems instead.
Pruning
Deadhead spent blooms to keep the flowers coming, and cut back floppy or leggy stems to coax a bushier rebloom. Shear the flower spikes in fall, then tidy away the dead foliage come spring.
Size & spacing
Gaura reaches 3 to 5 feet (91 to 152 cm) tall and spreads 1 to 3 feet (30 to 91 cm) across. Give each plant that full spread so air can pass through and the stems have room to stand on their own.
When to plant
Gaura keeps to the warm season and will not be hurried past frost, so there is no need to rush. Start seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost, set the plants out once the soil has warmed, and look forward to bloom from late spring or summer through the first fall frosts.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: Start seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost.
- Plant: Transplant after the last spring frost once soil has warmed.
- Harvest: Blooms from late spring or summer through the first fall frosts.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 5–9
Temperature: down to -29°C
Troubleshooting
Most gaura trouble begins quietly, either underground with wet feet or on the leaves when the air cannot move. Catch the early signs and you can usually put things right before the plant struggles. Find what you are seeing below, then act while it still helps, and know that most of these are recoverable.
A drooping plant that darkens at the base and folds over
If your gaura wilts, turns black low down, and slumps, take heart, because this is root rot and you can still turn things around. Wet soil that never dries is almost always the trigger, and a gentle dig will show dark, soft, mushy roots. Shift it to a raised or sandier home, water it less, and only let go of the parts too far gone.
Fix:
- Improve drainage or move the plant to a raised or sandier site
- Reduce watering and allow soil to dry between waterings
- Remove and discard severely rotted plants
A soft white dust across the leaves and stems
A pale, powdery film on the leaves is powdery mildew, and it is nothing to panic over. It settles in when plants sit crowded and the air around them goes still, and a gentle rub lifts the dust right off. Give the plants a little breathing room by thinning and spacing them, take away the worst leaves, and keep your watering aimed low.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation by spacing and thinning plants
- Remove affected foliage
- Avoid overhead watering
Little rusty bumps tucked under the leaves
Raised orange to brown spots on the undersides of the leaves are rust, a fungus that likes damp, still foliage, and it is easy enough to handle early. Pick off the marked leaves and destroy them before it can spread further. Open the plant up so air moves through, and water the soil instead of the leaves and you will keep it in check.
Fix:
- Remove and destroy infected leaves
- Improve air circulation
- Avoid wetting foliage when watering
Long stems that grow lanky and lean over
Those slim, wiry stems tend to sprawl when nothing holds them up, and rich soil or too much shade only nudges them further over. You will often notice the flop after a rain or in a dim corner, and it is an easy fix. Trim the lanky stems back for a fuller rebloom, give the plant full sun and leaner ground, and let a sturdy neighbor lend a shoulder.
Fix:
- Cut back leggy stems to encourage bushier rebloom
- Plant near sturdy companions that provide support
- Grow in full sun and leaner soil
Toxicity
Here is welcome news for homes with animals: gaura is non-toxic right across the board. It does not appear on the ASPCA list of plants toxic to dogs or cats, and no part of it poses a poisoning risk to pets, livestock, or people. Plant it freely wherever curious noses like to wander.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
You can relax with cats around gaura, since it is safe for them. A curious nibble will not poison your cat, so there is nothing here to fret about.
Dogs None
Your dog is welcome to share the garden with gaura and come to no harm. It is not on the ASPCA toxic list, so even a mouthful of leaves is nothing to worry over.
Horses Safe
Horses can graze near gaura in peace, as the plant holds no known toxin that would trouble them.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can nibble the leaves with no ill effect, though as with any fresh green it is kind to bring it in slowly.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep can graze around gaura without coming to harm, since it poses no toxic threat in the pasture.
Birds Safe
Birds are perfectly fine around gaura. The flowers even bring in pollinators, and nothing about the plant is toxic to them.
People Safe
Gaura is harmless to people, grown simply as an ornamental, so you can handle and plant it with an easy mind.
Varieties
A handful of named selections let you settle on the size and color that fits your spot best. These are the ones worth getting to know by name.
Whirling Butterflies
A tidy 2 to 3 foot pick whose white flowers and pink buds seem to dance on wiry stems, and because it stays sterile you will not find it seeding all over the garden.
Siskiyou Pink
A pink-flowered kind you will know by its dark stems and reddish new growth.
Belleza
A dwarf, compact series bred to keep a neat shape while blooming its heart out.
Summer Breeze
A taller choice at around 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, covered in pink-tinged white flowers.
How to propagate
You can raise more gaura from seed or by dividing an established clump, though that deep taproot asks for a gentle hand either way.
SeedModerate
Sow in spring; the species self-seeds readily while many named cultivars are sterile. · Blooms the first or second season from seed.
Sowing the species in spring is the easy path, and it will happily reseed itself with the first flowers coming along in the first or second season. Just keep in mind that many named cultivars are sterile, so for those you will lean on division or cuttings rather than seed.
DivisionModerate
Divide in spring, taking care with the deep taproot. · Reestablishes over one growing season.
If you would like more plants, divide in spring but do it with a gentle hand, because that deep taproot does not enjoy being disturbed. A clump usually finds its feet again over a single growing season, and where the taproot makes division feel risky, basal cuttings are the kinder route.
Myths
Gaura must be watered often and given rich, fertile soil to do well.
Take comfort in the opposite, because this taprooted plant brushes off drought and heat once it settles in. Lean, well-drained soil is just what it is after, and rich ground with heavy watering only cuts the flowering and invites root rot.
Gaura is poisonous to dogs and cats.
You can set this worry aside, since gaura is not on the ASPCA list of plants toxic to dogs or cats. Gaura is considered non-toxic, which makes it a safe pick for a garden your pets share.