Gaura: Planting and Growing

Botany

In the wild, Gaura grows in the arid prairies of the southern United States, mainly in Louisiana and Texas. It can even be found as far north as Mexico.

Introduced to Europe in 1850, this perennial has become very popular within just a few years and is widely used in urban areas to add a bright, natural touch to flower beds and roadside borders.

There are around twenty species of Gaura. The best-known and most widely sold, Gaura lindheimeri, is a perennial often grown as an annual. In the wild, Gauras can be annuals, biennials, or even subshrubs!

The plant gets its name “Gaura” from the Greek word “gauros,” meaning superb. It’s easy to see why when you admire the elegance of its flowers! “Lindheimeri” pays tribute to the 19th-century botanist and naturalist Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer.

Gaura is related to Evening Primrose, Fuchsia, and Fireweed, belonging to the same family: the Onagraceae. This family—which includes over 600 species!—comprises plants with hermaphroditic flowers (having both male and female organs), with 4 petals and sepals.

Gaura has a very rapid growth. You can expect a fairly bushy plant just a few weeks after planting. At maturity, it reaches between 60 cm and 1.30 m in height, depending on the variety, and spreads 60 cm to 1 metre wide.

This plant forms a bushy clump, from which numerous long, slender stems emerge. These stems bear panicles of star-shaped flowers.

Flowers of different Gaura varieties: ‘Snowstorm’ – ‘Corrie’s Gold’ – ‘Siskyou Pink’

Gaura offers a generous flowering period from May to September, in successive waves. It can thus remain in bloom for 5, or even 6 months! The flowers are often white with a pink tinge, but can take on many shades of pink depending on the variety, ranging almost to red! They have 4 petals and 8 long white stamens, arranged in panicles about 30 cm long. The flowers are ephemeral, opening at dawn and fading by evening.

Unfortunately, the flowers are not fragrant. However, they are very nectar-rich, attracting numerous pollinating insects to the garden!

Gaura: flower and leaf

Gaura has small, simple leaves, lance-shaped with toothed margins. They are alternate and downy on both sides. The basal leaves are sometimes speckled with red spots. Some varieties even have purple foliage (such as ‘Crimson butterflies’) or variegated leaves (‘Corrie’s Gold’). Gaura is deciduous, so there’s no need to worry if you see the leaves dry up and fall in autumn! You’ll have to wait until spring for new growth.

If you notice red spots appearing on the leaves, don’t worry! It’s not a disease or pest—just a natural characteristic of the plant. The basal leaves can indeed develop red speckling.

Thanks to its taproot, Gaura can draw water from deep underground and withstand drought. This root makes repotting and transplanting tricky, so it’s best to plant it in its permanent spot and leave it there for several years.

This is a relatively hardy plant, not overly sensitive to frost, though this varies by species. White varieties can tolerate temperatures as low as -20°C, while pink ones withstand -15°C. If the soil is well-drained, there’s little risk of frost damage.

Used as a cut flower, Gaura adds an unmistakably delicate touch to bouquets! Its flowers can last up to a week in a vase.

Varieties

There are around twenty botanical species, and at least as many varieties selected for their aesthetic appeal.

Our favourite varieties:

Gaura lindheimeri Siskiyou pink

The numerous flowers of this Gaura have a lovely bright pink hue. They lighten as they develop: from red when still in bud, they transition through various shades of pink before becoming pale pink.

• Flowering time August to November
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the product sheet

Gaura lindheimeri Whirling Butterflies

This variety boasts magnificent pure white flowers with vivid red sepals. It flowers abundantly and features grey-green foliage.

• Flowering time August to October
• Height at maturity 1 m

See the product sheet

Gaura lindheimeri Cherry Brandy

Gaura ‘Cherry Brandy’ is a recently created variety by horticulturists. It has a rather compact and dense habit and offers countless flowers with a lovely pale pink hue veined in red.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 40 cm

See the product sheet

Gaura lindheimeri Rosy Jane

This new variety has stunning bicoloured flowers with white petals edged in carmine pink. They bloom on compact plants with dark green foliage speckled with red.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 80 cm

See the product sheet

Other varieties to discover:

Gaura lindheimeri Corries Gold

This variety displays white and pale pink flowers against bright foliage edged in yellow.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 80 cm

See the product sheet

Gaura lindheimeri Snowstorm

'Snowstorm' stands out for its pure white flowers as well as its compact habit.

• Flowering time August to November
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the product sheet

Gaura lindheimeri Sparkle White - Lindheimer's Beeblossom seeds

A striking variety with white flowers borne on well-branched, compact plants.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 40 cm

See the product sheet

Gaura lindheimeri Freefolk Rosy

Bicoloured flowers, white edged in pale pink, emerge from beautiful variegated foliage.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 75 cm

See the product sheet

Gaura lindheimeri Lollipop Pink

A compact and bushy variety with deep pink flowers against purple foliage.

• Flowering time June to November
• Height at maturity 40 cm

See the product sheet

Botanical species:

These are wild plants, much less common in cultivation than horticultural varieties.

• Gaura biennis

Gaura biennis is a biennial plant that grows in meadows, rocky areas and deserts of North America. It is mainly found in the United States and as far north as southern Quebec. It produces a beautiful flowering from July to September, in bright white or pink tones, with flowers arranged in dense spikes. Its leaves measure 5 to 10 cm long.

• Gaura coccinea

This is a perennial also native to the United States, where it is found in various environments, even in urban areas. Its ephemeral flowers are initially white, turning pink then red as they bloom. They are arranged in dense spikes. Its leaves are slender and measure between 2 and 3 cm long.

Planting, care and maintenance

Planting

Gauras prefer to be planted in full sun, in well-drained soil. They can tolerate slightly shaded positions, but north-facing exposures must be avoided at all costs! Plant them in spring, once the last frosts have passed.

If your soil is heavy and clay-like, you’ll need to improve drainage to prevent excess moisture. Simply add sand, gravel or small pot shards. You can also plant Gaura on a mound to prevent waterlogging around the crown.

Don’t be alarmed if you see Gaura plants in nurseries in March that appear “visibly dead” – these are just the dry stems remaining from the previous year’s growth. Gaura regrows from the base from late March onwards.

Gaura and ornamental grasses in a flower bed

Gaura works beautifully in pots or containers too! It creates a lovely effect when combined with other perennials or annuals. Just ensure the container is sufficiently wide and deep, and place gravel at the bottom to prevent waterlogging.

Care, Pruning and Maintenance

Gaura can sometimes become floppy due to its long, slender stems. To maintain a bushier habit, you can prune stems that grow too far outward. This helps the plant maintain good form and encourages new flowers. Another trick is to mound soil around the plant’s crown.

If you live in an area with frequent hard frosts below -10°C, ensure you plant in well-drained soil: the combination of cold and excess moisture can cause root rot.

Although its taproot allows it to access deep water reserves, we recommend watering during prolonged drought or extreme heat.

Easy to grow, Gaura isn’t prone to specific diseases or pests. The main issue it may face is root rot caused by waterlogged soil.

One of Gaura’s few drawbacks is its relatively short lifespan. Plants need replacing every 3 to 4 years – though this still gives plenty of time to enjoy their abundant flowering!

Winter pruning is essential. In March, cut back the clump to about 10cm above ground to maintain a tidy shape and remove dead stems. Don’t prune earlier – these stems protect the plant during cold weather! New growth will soon appear.

After each flowering (2-3 times during summer), cut back all flowered stems. This stimulates new flower production.

For complete planting advice, see our detailed guide: “Gaura: when, where and how to plant”, and for more tips on When and how to prune Gaura?, check out our tutorial!

Propagation: Sowing, Division and Cuttings

To propagate gaura, we recommend taking cuttings: it’s quite easy to succeed and produces plants identical to the parent plant. Dividing clumps is much more delicate. Sowing takes longer and, if you collect seeds from horticultural varieties yourself, the young plants may not be identical to the original plant.

Sowing

Gaura self-seeds easily in the garden, provided you leave a few faded flowers on the plant. However, don’t expect to reseed pink-flowered varieties: these horticultural cultivars are sterile…

You can also harvest the seeds to sow them manually. The seeds, shaped like orange segments and about 3mm in size, are easily recognisable. Be careful, though: for horticultural varieties, opt for cuttings or root division, the only methods that guarantee new plants identical to the parent! If you wish to sow these varieties, it’s better to buy the seeds.

• Sowing directly in the ground, in spring:

Start by loosening the soil surface, breaking up clumps, and spreading a little compost. Then sow the seeds and cover them with a thin layer of compost. Lightly firm the soil with the back of a rake. Water. The soil should remain moist until the seeds germinate.

Discover our tips for sowing seeds directly in the ground.

• Sowing in pots under cover:

Sow the seeds 1 to 2 months before the planned planting date in the garden.

Fill pots with seed compost, then water them. Place the seeds and cover them with a thin layer of compost. Keep them under cover at a temperature between 20 and 24°C, and continue watering regularly. Again, ensure the substrate stays moist until the seeds have germinated. You can then reduce watering.

From April onwards, you can plant the young seedlings in the garden.

Gaura flowers in the same year as sowing, but the blooms will be far more beautiful and abundant the following year!

Dividing clumps

When they form a large enough clump, you can propagate gauras by dividing the clump in early spring. However, the taproot makes this operation very delicate. That’s why we don’t recommend it… To propagate your gauras, opt for cuttings instead!

Gaura lindheimeri ‘Rosy Jane’

Taking cuttings

Gaura roots quite easily from cuttings. This can be done from March onwards, before flowering.

Start by preparing pots filled with a mix of compost and sand, then water the substrate. Take a non-flowering stem, about 10 cm long, cutting it cleanly just below a node (the point where leaves emerge). Remove some leaves if necessary. You can dip the cutting in rooting hormone. Make a hole in a pot with a pencil. Insert the cutting and firm the soil around it to keep it upright. Water.

Place the cuttings at a temperature of 20°C and continue watering them regularly.

Association

Highly versatile, Gaura pairs beautifully with the graphic appeal and delicacy of ornamental grasses for a contemporary look, or mingles with other colourful blooms in an English-style mixed border. When planted alongside free-flowing, airy flowers, it creates a charming wildflower meadow effect. With its ethereal blooms, it adds lightness when planted beside lower-growing or more compact plants.

Different Gaura pairings: Gaura ‘Rosy Shimmer’ and Persicaria affubus ‘Darjeeling Red’ – White Gaura and Echinacea pallida – Gaura ‘Rosy Jane’ and Pennisetum ‘Hameln’

Its white or pink flowers perfectly complement other plants in cool or pastel tones (blue, mauve, pink, or white). For a romantic garden, pair it with pink and white blooms like roses, peonies, or gypsophila…

Discover more inspiring combinations in our pairing guide: “Gaura: 8 Successful Planting Combinations”