Gaura + cvs

Gaura lindheimeri

Description

Gaura — *Gaura lindheimeri ‘*Siskiyou Pink*‘*

Gaura is a large and robust clumping perennial with delightful flowering character each spring on long flexible stems. The seasonal foliage also grows along tall and slender stems to 3-4 ft. tall, but the flowers are the real treat provided by this plant.

This southwestern native comes from moist areas throughout arid regions of Texas and Mexico. It is well adapted to heat and sun, but grows best and flowers longest when soil moisture is available. Plants should be rejuvenated each year by cutting all stems oﬀ at ground level in late fall. Gaura is valued for its long flowering cycle and has proven to be a popular flowering accent plant in perennial gardens to display its delicate flower character. It can become aggressive in size and produce fertile seeds that lead to new plants; this tendency can be reduced by planting in containers. Several cultivars are available, including: G. l. ‘Siskiyou Pink’ produces deep rose-pink flowers. G. l. ‘Whirling Butterflies’ is noted for its delicate white flowers that move gracefully on long flexible stems.

Plant Type: Perennial
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Clumping, Arching
Growth Rate: Fast
Foliage Color: Medium green
Flower Color: White
Flower Season: Summer, Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Moist soil, Clay
Exposure Adaptations: Morning sun, Heat, Aridity, All day sun, Partial sun
Function: Raised planters, Flowering accent plant, Container plant, Borders, Attracts butterflies
Height: 3 ft. – 4 ft.
Width: 3 ft. – 4 ft.

Watering Schedule: Medium

For most situations, we recommend watering once per week after establishment, watering very deeply in summer, less deeply in fall and spring, and even less in winter.

See our recommendations for how much water to apply each time you water, below. Note that these recommendations are intended for inland valley areas of Southern California including the Inland Empire, San Gabriel, and San Fernando Valleys. People in cooler or warmer areas may use this as a baseline but should adjust based on local needs.

Learn how to provide 1” of water to your landscape here, and adjust to provide more or less based on the recommendations above for each time of year.

Seasonal Watering Recommendations

June – August: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 1.25” of irrigation.
September – October: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.75” of irrigation.
November – February: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.5” of irrigation.
March-May: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.75” of irrigation.

Learn how to provide 1” of water to your landscape here, and adjust to provide more or less based on the recommendations above for each time of year.

Adjusting to your local needs

These recommendations for Medium / Moderate water demanding plants were created for Southern California inland valley areas. Southern California areas closer to the coast and along the coast will usually be able to water significantly less during the warm months of the year. For desert areas, check with local experts to be sure plants are appropriate for the area and anticipate needing to water more.

As a very general baseline, people in Los Angeles and similar areas can try setting a schedule of 80% of the in Spring, Summer, and Fall and adjust as necessary based on observation. The difference is less pronounced in the winter months, so we recommend starting with the same recommendations as above for winter. People in cooler coastal areas such as Santa Monica can try using this same approach but adjust to use 75% of the chart recommended minutes for the Spring, Summer, and Fall months.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another week, possibly longer. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering again.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.
“Smart timers” or weather sensitive irrigation controllers such as Rachio and Hunter Hydrawise are ideal for watering plants in this category because they will automatically adjust how much they water based on the weather so you do not need to reprogram the timer seasonally. Rebates for these types of irrigation controllers are available through socalwatersmart.com.

If desired, remove spent flower spikes to encourage a longer bloom period (5). Plants left to let flowers dry at the end of the season and set seed will often spread seeds that will germinate and grow around irrigated gardens. Usually not enough plants come up to be considered a weed, so it can be a nice way to allow a bit of wildness into the garden by letting the seedlings grow where they want. Unwanted seedlings can be easily pulled or potted up to share with friends (S). Cut the entire plant almost all the way to the ground every winter. It will usually grow back abundantly in the Spring (5). References