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How to Grow Beautiful Gaura Flowers
What is Gaura?
Gaura, also known as wandflower, is a pretty perennial flower that adds beauty to cottage gardens and informal plantings. It has a relaxed habit with small, starry flowers in white or pink that bloom from early summer to autumn. Gaura is perfect for filling gaps in your garden and can also be grown in containers.
How to Grow Gaura
- Planting: Plant gaura in well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Dig a hole and add some grit to the bottom for drainage. Place the rootball in the hole at the same depth it was in its pot and backfill with soil. Water well.
- Care: Gaura doesn’t need much care. Cut back and divide congested clumps in spring. Avoid moving more mature plants, as they don’t transport well. Don’t worry if you see dark spots on the leaves, as this is normal.
- Propagation: You can propagate gaura from seed or cuttings. Sow seeds in spring or take cuttings in summer.
Popular Gaura Varieties
- Gaura lindheimeri ‘The Bride’: White flowers on long, thin stems
- Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterfly’: Pink and white flowers on gray-green foliage
- Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’: Bright pink flowers, great for cutting
- Gaura lindheimeri ‘Crimson Butterflies’: Compact variety with dark pink blooms
Troubleshooting
- Black spots on leaves: This is a normal physiological response to low temperatures and will disappear as temperatures increase.
- Pruning: Cut gaura back hard in early spring and again in late spring to early summer to encourage bushier growth and more blooms.
Overwintering Gaura
Gaura is not reliably hardy in cold climates. To overwinter, cut it back in autumn and apply a thick mulch of straw. You can also lift the whole plant and overwinter it in a pot in a cold greenhouse.
