Gaura lindheimeri Blaze

Gaura lindheimeri 'Blaze'® is a new variety of Lindheimer's Gaura which is characterised by a compact habit and abundant deep pink flowering, contrasting with the beautiful bronze-purple foliage. These beautiful plants are covered in delicate flowers that resemble butterflies for months, making them true treasures for terraces and balconies, and their weather resistance is wonderful in the garden. It doesn't matter whether the soil is rich or moist, 'Blaze' delivers a multitude of well-distributed flowers from top to bottom of its red stems. Gauras are unaffected by limestone and drought, making them unmatched for bringing lightness to sunny beds, even in quite spartan growing conditions.

Lindheimer's Gaura belongs to the Onagraceae family, it is a cousin of evening primroses. The natural range of Gaura lindheimeri is located on the border between Mexico and the United States (prairies and hot pine forests of Louisiana and Texas, Houston). It is a short-lived perennial plant in cool, fertile soil, but it is one of the most floriferous. It is a good plant for dry gardens, which will give complete satisfaction to the gardener in hot and dry regions in summer.

'Blaze'® is a hardy horticultural selection, which can withstand temperatures of around -15°C for short periods and in well-drained soil. The plant forms a small bushy clump, with a weakly spreading habit, 50-60 cm (20-24in) tall and slightly less wide, from a basal rosette. It is the branched, very numerous and slender flowering stems that give the plant its bushy appearance. The flowering takes place in successive waves, from mid-spring to autumn. The dark purple flower buds open into flowers with 4 spreading petals, centred on a cluster of long flexible stamens. They resemble butterflies in their shape and have a deep pink colour. Their size is comparable to that of usual gaura varieties. In spring, the purple branches bear equally dark shoots. These unfold into small elongated leaves, like those of willows, with the purple lamina turning more or less dark green in summer. These small leaves are hairy on both sides, they are mostly deciduous in winter, but can partially persist on the stems in mild winters. The root system is a taproot that allows the plant to anchor itself in poor, even rocky soils.

Gauras have quickly become the stars of urban flower beds and gardens. This success is explained by their incredible floriferousness and their rapid growth. These plants, which seem unaffected by climatic fluctuations, quickly become indispensable for those who have enjoyed them for a season. Wherever they are planted, they bring lightness, volume, and a lot of grace. The Gaura lindheimeri 'Blaze' fits in all gardens and on all balconies. It has its place in herbaceous borders, along paths or flower and shrub beds. It goes well with ground cover roses, grows between shrubs such as abelias and deutzias, accompanies small ornamental grasses, catmints, bellflowers, carnations, etc.