Discover a New Flowering Favorite: Gaura the Wandflower (2024)

How to Plant Gaura (Wandflower)

The airy texture and form of gaura make them lovely accent plants in a mixed perennial border. You can plant masses in a wildflower gardenas these “whirling butterflies” dance in the breeze.

When to Plant

Gaura is best planted in the spring or fall. However, only plant perennial varieties in the fall since annuals will die with frosty weather.

Since gaura are mainly hybrids, seeds gathered from your blooming plants will not grow true to the parent plant the next growing season. It's best to source seeds from nurseries and seed distributors. You can also propagate new plants from cuttings.

Selecting a Planting Site

These plants can be grown in containers or ground in USDA zones 5 through 9. The best site for a gaura plant is in full sun, in sandy, well-draining soil. It doesn't need rich soil, though it needs soil at least a foot deep for its long taproot to establish itself.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

These plants normally self-sow. When planting seeds, only plant about 1/8 inch deep, barely covering the seeds. Space plants about 2 to 3 feet apart to allow for the plants to spread.

Do not give these plants fertilizer. Fertile soil can make them floppy. If your gaura plants flop in the garden, you can stake them or use supportive companion plants to keep the flower spikes out of the mud. Rigid, upright flowers like yarrow, 'Autumn Joy' sedum, or Liatris have similar growing conditions and blooming times. Consider planting with butterfly weed and globe thistle for a dry garden that will attract pollinators.

Gaura (Wandflower) Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing a gaura (wandflower):

• Plant in a full-sun location.
• Needs sandy or well-draining soil; dislikes soggy soil.
• Water deeply but infrequently; it's a drought-resistant plant.
• Tolerates extreme heat and sun; handles cold temperatures down to minus 20°F.
• Refrain from giving fertilizer, which causes the plant to droop.
  

Light

Gaura thrives and blooms best in full sun but will tolerate some afternoon shade, particularly in hot climates.

Soil

Along with plenty of sunshine, excellent drainage is the key to success with gaura plantings. They are not the longest-lived perennials, and wet winter soil will kill these drought-tolerant natives. Amend the soil with a mix of compost and grit, or, better yet, plant them in raised beds. Space gaura at least 12 inches apart in groups of three or five plants for maximum impact.

Water

Water gaura infrequently but deeply to help the plants establish their deep roots.

Temperature and Humidity

Gaura tolerates extreme heat, humidity, and cold, making it suitable for growing in various climate zones. Its waving wands dotted with dozens of pinkish flowers don't stop blooming in triple-digit temperatures or dry weather that usually turns lawns crisp.

Fertilizer

Gaura thrives in poor soil and doesn’t need supplemental flower fertilizer. Too much manure or fertilizer can make the plant floppy.

Types of Gaura (Wandflower)

Gaura's lengthy foliage is often tinged with pink, cream, or gold. Some of the most common cultivated varieties of Oenothera lindheimeri include:

• 'Corrie's Gold': The gold in this plant refers not to the flowers but to the stunning variegated foliage. The flowers are white and tinged with pink.
• 'Crimson Butterflies': Bright pink flowers on red stems hover above burgundy foliage. Partner them with blue or green-flowering plants for a head-turning combination.
• 'Passionate Rainbow': As if the pink flower wands weren't enough prettiness, the foliage is also edged in pink.
• 'Siskiyou Pink': These showy rose-pink flowers are the most common variety in the trade.
• 'Sparkle White': This elegant, award-winning gaura variety grows dainty white flowers with pink tints.

Pruning

Cutting back the stems of gaura after the first main bloom encourages a tidy plant and spurs repeat blooming.

At the start of the second growing season, after the threat of the last frost has passed, cut the gaura plant down by half. Or, if it has suffered winter damage, cut it down to about 10 inches of growth. Pruning encourages new, fresh growth.

Propagating Gaura (Wandflower)

Gaura can be propagated from seed or cuttings. Since many gaura varieties are hybrids, propagating from seeds you have collected yourself—or any seedlings that emerge from these self-seeding plants—will not produce the same results as the mother plant and won’t be as attractive. Division is tricky due to the long taproot, and plants do not need dividing to stay vigorous. Propagation from cuttings is the way to go. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Cut off about five 4-inch shoots growing from the base of the stem using a sharp knife or pruners. Cut them off as close to the crown as possible without damaging it.
2. Fill a 4- to 6-inch pot with potting mix and slowly water it until it is evenly moist and water drips out of the drain holes. Gently push the cuttings into the soil about 1 inch deep.
3. Place the pot in a protected location from sunlight and wind. Water the soil daily to keep it moist. New growth can take up to two months to appear.
4. Transplant each young plant into a pot of the same size and let them grow until they fill their pots, then transplant them into larger pots or in your yard. The long taproot that makes gaura drought-tolerant makes it difficult to transplant successfully, so choose your planting site carefully.

How to Grow Gaura (Wandflower) From Seed

Start gaura from seed in cell flats indoors or directly seed them in the garden. The seeds need light to germinate, so barely cover them. Germination at 70°F will take 21 to 35 days.

1. Start the seeds indoors nine weeks before planting them outdoors (before the last frost date).
2. The indoor spot should stay between 70°F and 75°F for the seeds to germinate.
3. Press the seed into a seed-starting tray or scatter a smattering of soil on the seeds; do not cover deeply.
4. Place seed trays in a warm, sunny location. Keep soil moist but not soggy.
5. Once the seeds germinate, transplant the seedlings outdoors in a sunny spot only if frost no longer threatens your area.

Potting and Repotting Gaura (Wandflower)

If you can't get your gaura plants to overwinter reliably because of heavy, waterlogged soilor below-average temperatures, grow this flower in a container garden.

To accommodate the plant's long taproot, use a 12-inch deep and 10-inch wide pot with good-sized drainage holes. The roots don't like to sit in soggy soil. For the potting medium, use an all-purpose potting mix.

Overwintering

Before the first frost, cover the soil at the plant's base with a 2-inch layer of wood chip mulch to insulate the roots and conserve in-ground water during winter. Mulch also keeps the soil covered and frozen, preventing heaving or a cyclical freeze and thaw that can damage plant roots. This layer also creates a barrier, preventing weed seeds from reaching the soil and taking root.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Overall, gaura plants are easy to care for but may be affected by certain pests, like aphids, and the flowers are especially vulnerable in the early summer. Infestations of spider mites, whiteflies, and leaf miners are less common but still possible. To resolve pest problems, apply insecticidal soap or spray the plants with water to wash them away.

At the end of the growing season, remove dead plant matter that insects use to overwinter and keep your flowerbeds weeded. Attract parasitic wasps into your garden with a companion planting of sweet alyssum.

Leaf spot, rust, and mildew occasionally affect these plants. Treat with copper or sulfur fungicides. Neem oil, a botanical fungicide, pesticide, or other horticultural oils, can also control fungus in plants.

How to Get Gaura (Wandflower) to Bloom

Pruning after frost ends spurs plants to develop new growth and flower production.

Bloom Months

Depending on your zone and climate, gaura typically blooms in early summer, around June or July.

How Long Does Gaura (Wandflower) Bloom?

Gaura blooms last from early summer through the fall, especially when aided with deadheading.

What Do Gaura Flowers Look and Smell Like?

Gaura flowers look like butterflies perched on the end of wands. They come in pink, white, or a mix of the two and do not have a discernible scent.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Pruning at the right time and not overfeeding the plant with rich fertilizer will encourage the plant to create an abundance of blooms. Deadhead the wilted flowers to prolong the bloom time.

Deadheading Gaura Flowers

Remove flowers as they fade or cut away wilted flower spikes for more blooms.

Common Problems With Gaura (Wandflower)

These plants are easy to care for, but they may be affected by certain pests like aphids.They rarely encounter frequent problems, although they sometimes get curling or yellowing leaves.

Curling Leaves

Gaura is drought-tolerant but can become too dry, especially in extreme heat. Ensure the plant gets ample water to prevent foliage from curling or burning. Water deeply but infrequently. Burning leaves look crisp with reddish edges. This reddish curling may also indicate too much fertilizer, causing leaf scorch.

Leaves Turning Yellow

If gaura sits in too much water or has soggy roots, its leaves may begin yellowing. Cut back on watering, or shelter the plant during overly rainy periods.

Drooping Foliage

Drooping leaves or stems signals too much fertilizer. Overly rich soil can also cause stunted growth when too much fertilizer sits in the soil, burning the roots. Only give fertilizer at most once a year or top dress with compost.