Gaura Growing and Caring Guide

This is one of my favourite summer flowers. Gaura is known by several different names, and they come in white and pink colors. The most popular names are: Whirling Butterflies, Beeblossom, and Wandflower.

Note: Here on Gardenvive, I share only my personal experiences, along with insights from my relatives and friends who are just as passionate about gardening as I am. If you’re a gardener like me who wants to grow Gaura and is looking for the best care guide, this article is for you.

What I meant to say is: This guide is for practical gardening, not academic study (botanical study).

Most of the gardeners bought this plant after seeing pictures on gardening groups and forums ( or the beautiful flowers caught their attention). And I am one of them.

Gaura even survived the cold we had here in North Florida. Then I got curious to know more about this plant.

Gaura Plant Care by USDA Zones

This chart holds a lot of information (especially if you are from the US).

Note: I have created visual planting charts for every USDA zone. You can check the homepage of this site to get those.

People often ask this question, if Gaura is perennial or not. The answer was never Yes or No. The above chart is the answer to your question.

Whether a plant is perennial or annual depends on the climate of that location. In Florida, Gaura is perennial, but in Northern/Highland Pennsylvania, they will act like an annual.

In Zone 8, they can be perennial, but don't expect them to return for sure.

This is why my grandpa (From North Texas, Zone 8) said when I asked about his experience:

"I left 2 pink gaura in their large ceramic pots over winter, and both returned, but they barely bloomed this year. The gaura I had put in the ground last spring didn’t return after winter."

Planting Guide for Gaura Plant

Planting time should be according to my given chart.

If you are from a warmer region ( Zone 9 or 10), plant in the fall. Otherwise, wait for the spring.

Can you plant Gaura in a pot? Or should you go for the ground?

You can obviously grow your Gaura plant in a pot. But pot-planted gaura can't beat ground-planted gaura with the same care.

If you’re serious about Gaura, plant it in the ground.

If you’re limited on space, a pot is totally fine.

Full sun, Well-drained soil, and a bigger pot. That's all you need to give them.

Find a sunny spot in your garden with sandy soil, which they love the most.

Water only when the soil is dry. They don't demand much care.

Never ever overwater a Gaura plant. Overwatering can kill them.

Keep the soil moist for a week or two only after planting for root establishment. For a mature Gaura plant, let the soil dry between waterings.

Do we need to trim the Gaura plant?

I cut them down after they bloomed and expect another flush of new blooms. It doesn’t need much, just water when the soil is too dry.

This helps me to encourage more blooming in the blooming season.

It is not unusual that once you trim Gaura after the first frost, they return again.

I have it in a pot, and it has come back the last two years. I cut it back in the spring and in August.

Spent blooms are not pretty. If possible, remove spent flowers (deadheading).

If you are from a colder region, trim twice a year. If you are from a warm region where Gaura does not die back, prune only once a year.

When the plant is leggy or messy, trim it. (Cut back by 1/3 to 1/2)

I do this during mid-summer.

When the flowering ends and the plant looks dry, cut back to 4–6 inches from the ground.

One request to my readers:

When you see caterpillars, do not use chemical pesticides on them. They will become good pollinators someday.

Is it hard to grow Gaura for a beginner gardener?

I planted these gaura when I was a beginner gardener. I was staying with my grandpa in Texas.

It was my first year gardening in Texas, and my first time planting this.

I planted it in spring, watered quite a bit after it was first planted, fertilized everything in my garden with a fish emulsion fertilizer, and by the time summer rolled around, it was huge and had no problem with the lack of rain or the heat.

I just watered it deeply once or twice a week, depending on how bad the temps were.

It keeps popping back up in all kinds of places. I wouldn't say it is invasive, but it is the gift that keeps giving.

I didn’t cut it all the way to the ground. After it bloomed, I cut it down to about 1/2 size. I really don’t know if that was what I was supposed to do or not, but the plant honestly seemed to accept the challenge of growing back.

Propagation of the Gaura Plant

You can propagate them easily both from cuttings and seeds.

For fast results, go for cuttings.

Take 4-6 inches of green soft stem cutting. (Do not take flowering stems)

Put them in well-drained soil. (Or sand mixed with compost).

Root development will start within 2 weeks. Do this in spring for the best results.

To grow a lot of Gaura plants at a lower price, go for seeds.

They are self-seeding, which means it's easy to grow Gaura from seeds.

Take dry seeds, sprinkle them on the soil. Do not bury them too deep.

Germination will start in 1 to 2 weeks. Don't forget to keep the soil moist.

Note: Due to pollination, the seed-grown Gaura plants may be different from the parent plant.

Where to find the Gaura Plant?

I’ve gotten a few of these from Lowe’s rescue area. You can try if you are from the US. Otherwise, search your local nurseries or online nursery stores.

My aunt is in Zone 6, and she buys them each year as they do not return after freezing.

Tip:

Rabbits ate about half of my aunt's Gaura. Had to put chicken wire around it. If your garden is rabbit-prone, use protection for rabbits before planting.