Great Design Plant: Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri) — Butterfly-Like Blooms for Sun and Heat

At first glance, gaura (Gaura lindheimeri) captivates—its flowers resemble tiny butterflies floating on a cloud above dark green foliage. Don't let the delicate look fool you: this Texas native is tough, drought-tolerant, and unfussy. White blooms appear spring through fall; 'Siskiyou Pink' offers a smaller, pink-flowered option. Versatile as edging, in rock gardens, or containers, gaura grows across many U.S. zones.

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Plant Profile

• Botanical name: Gaura lindheimeri (syn. Oenothera lindheimeri)
• Common names: Gaura, whirling butterflies, Lindheimer's beeblossom, Indian feather, Lindheimer's clockweed
• Origin: Southeastern Texas and northern Mexico
• Hardiness: -20°F, USDA zone 5
• Water: Drought-tolerant established; water every 2 weeks spring–fall without rain (weekly in low/high desert)
• Light: Full sun (afternoon shade in desert)
• Mature size: 3–4 feet tall and wide
• Benefits: Drought-tolerant; deer-resistant; attracts bees and beneficial insects
• Seasonal interest: White or pink flowers spring–fall; pauses in summer heat in desert, resumes in fall
• Planting time: Spring or fall from transplants

Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Distinguishing Traits

Flowers described as butterflies, orchids, even mosquitoes. Borne in sprays on arching stalks, they float in the breeze. White gaura emerges from pink buds. 'Siskiyou Pink' starts pale, deepens through season—smaller at ~2 feet tall × 3 feet wide. Several other white/pink cultivars exist.

Arching flowering stalks rise from a basal rosette of dark green, sessile leaves. Unremarkable out of bloom except for frequent maroon foliage tones.

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Richard Lusk Landscape and Design: With purple-flowering Rozanne cranesbill (Geranium 'Rozanne').

Landscape Uses

• Groups of 3–5: Maximum impact for delicate flowers.
• Rock garden: Next to a boulder for texture contrast.
• Containers: Arching vertical accent; pair with broad-leaved plants (gardenia, hosta, lantana).
• Perennial border: With salvias—autumn sage (S. greggii), meadow sage (S. sylvestris), Mexican bush sage (S. leucantha), Cleveland sage (S. clevelandii).
• Romantic combos: Grosso lavender, Magical Fantasy weigela, silver mound wormwood, Rozanne cranesbill (Seattle garden example).

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Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Planting and Care

• Site: Full sun (afternoon shade in desert); well-drained soil.
• Planting: Amend hole with 1:1 compost:native soil.
• Maintenance: No fertilizer needed. Prune flowering stalks by half at least once during growing season to boost bloom. In spring, cut stalks to base for new growth.
• Cold climates (zones 5 and below): May not return reliably—grow as annual. Perennial in zones 6–11.

Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting: 'Ballet Blush' awaiting planting at Frederik Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids, MI.

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Elemental Design Group: With Mexican bush sage (S. leucantha 'Purple Robe') and lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina) in coastal California.