Often called the ‘Whirling white butterfly bush’, Gaura lindheimeri has white flowers with a pink tinge in spring to summer, red and pink flowering types are also available.
The flowers of this clump forming perennial do indeed resemble butterflies in the breeze. The flowers are help on long on long stems and ‘move around’ in the breeze, colour and movement in the garden.
As with so many plants, new cultivars have been made available, so today we have ‘Butterfly Bushes’ in a number of colors. And as these attractive plants flower late in the season, often as other perennials are giving up, they are a welcome addition to the garden.
A perennial reaching around 1.5m in height it does tend to self seed however it is a most useful and attractive plant.
How to Grow Gaura
Best in warm to temperate zones, and unfortunately not suited to the humid north.
- Humus rich well drained soil.
- Sunny position.
- Best in the middle or towards the rear of the border due to its height.
- Prune back to around 15cm above the ground in late winter, or deadhead after flowering. And when we say deadhead we actually mean chop them back hard.
Landscaping with Gaura lindheimeri
With its very textural looking flowers that appear on tall stems, this is a plant that lends itself to mixing in with other plants with similar qualities.
Companion Plants
The white flowering cultivar G. lindheimeri ‘Belleza White’ (pictured right) is one that especially lends itself to this type of planting. Consider planting with great foliage plants such as :
- Adenanthos sericeus – Wooly Bush
- Dichondra repens – Kidney Weed (used as a ground cover)
- Echinacea purpurea ‘alba’ – The White Cone Flower
- Iopema batatas – The sweet Potato, which has great foliage.
- Poa labillaerdieri ‘ Sugan Bugan’ – Blue Tussock Grass.
Gaura lindheimeri Species and cultivars include
- G. lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’
- G. lindheimeri ‘Crimson Butterflies’ a lower growing cultivar.
- G. lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’
- G. lindheimeri ‘Passionate Rainbow’
- G. lindheimeri ‘Cherry Brandy’
- G. lindheimeri ‘Belleza White’.
- ‘Pink Butterfly’ is a paler pink in colour.
Gaura lindheimeri is available for sale from the following nurseries
www.planterspatch.com.au
52 Rodd St Canowindra NSW 2804
An online nursery specialising in drought and frost tolerant perennials and fragrant, edible and herbs.
www.perennialle.com.au
125 Palmer Rd Jindivick 3818
Open Thursday - Sunday 10am - 4pm
Specialising in growing and selling Rare and Unusual Trees, shrubs Perennials Bulbs and Climbers, a unique nursery with amazing stock.
www.muskersbroughtonhall.com.au