Gaura lindheimeri Summer Breeze

Gaura lindheimerii 'Summer Breeze' is a recent variety particularly interesting for its vigour, its ability to survive cold winters, and its endless pastel flowering. Its tall and graceful silhouette enhances the delicacy of its blooms, made up of a multitude of small white flowers barely tinged with pink, as light as butterflies. This perennial plant, although short-lived, shows rapid growth and will quickly make an impact in sunny flower beds. It also has its place in a dry or unirrigated garden.

Gaura lindheimeri, recently renamed Oenothera lindheimeri by botanists, belongs to the Onagraceae family and is a cousin of evening primroses and fuchsias. The original range of this wild species is located on the border of Mexico and the United States (prairies and warm pine forests of Louisiana and Texas, Houston). It is one of the most floriferous plants.

'Summer Breeze' is an Austrian selection dating back to 2008, particularly hardy, robust and vigorous. Producing densely clustered branched stems that emerge from a very resilient underground rhizome, this variety develops a slightly spreading clump of vegetation that can reach a height of 1.50 m (5ft) and a width of 80 cm (32in) in 3 years. Like all white-flowered varieties, it is very hardy and can withstand temperatures to around -15°C (5°F). It is the branched, numerous and slender floral stems that give the plant its bushy appearance. The flowering takes place in successive waves, from May-June until autumn. The 2-3 cm (1in) diameter flowers, with 4 spread petals centred on a bouquet of long flexible stamens, resemble white butterflies. They succeed the pink buds and are grouped in panicles of 50 to 80 cm (20 to 32in) in length. The foliage, fine and delicate, is deciduous: it disappears in winter. In spring, the branches bear red shoots. These unfold into elongated leaves like those of willows, 5-6 cm (2in) long and 1 cm (0in) wide, with a grey-green to glaucous hue. These small leaves are hairy on both sides. The root system is a taproot that allows the plant to anchor itself in poor or rocky soils.

Gauras have quickly become the stars of urban flower beds and gardens. This success can be explained by their incredible floriferousness and the speed at which they develop, even in mediocre and dry soils in summer. These plants, which seem unaffected by the wind, quickly become indispensable for those who have tried them for a season. Wherever they are planted they bring lightness, volume, and a lot of grace. Gaura lindheimeri 'Summer Breeze' has its place in the background of herbaceous borders or flower beds. It goes well with roses, grows between shrubs like abelias and deutzias, accompanies frugal perennials like catmints, rose campions (Lychnis coronaria), and lavenders. It blends well with perovskia, Mexican orange blossoms, red shrubby salvias, and caryopteris. Its alliance with roses and ornamental grasses is also very successful. Gauras also do very well in large pots.