Close up showing four petals.
Recently I have been thinking that I would be better off planting southern plants in order for them to better survive this heat in my Zone 7 Northern Virginia garden. I have several southern beauties that do quite well that I call gaura or whirling butterflies. Technically their name is not gaura anymore. Gaura lindheimeri was reclassified as Oenothera lindheimeri but if you look it up you may find it still called gaura.
These are herbaceous perennials native to Texas and Louisiana. The species grows to about 3 feet tall but really it is 3 feet of wiry stems and small, inch-wide pale white/rose flowers. At the base is a clump of foliage that dies back in the winter. The thin stems sway back and forth while butterflies try to land on the flowers. The bees are more successful.
Gaura blooming in the front garden
Drought and deer resistant, gaura has bloomed every year for me in full sun with no pests or diseases. I have heard that gaura self-seeds but not in my garden. The species, which can get tall, is wilder looking than the new short cultivars. But since it has long, thin stems, the plant is practically translucent so you can easily tuck it in the garden and not block the view of other plants. There has been a lot of breeding with this plant to introduce compact types, red/burgundy foliage instead of green, and a wider range of flower colors from bright white to rose pink to red.
This plant blooms all summer long, creating a haze of flowers. Hardy to Zone 5, gaura does not need to be coddled, it does not need rich soil or fertilizer. My plants are so old, I don’t even know where I got them. I have enjoyed them so much I have purchased more to put in other parts of the garden.
Close up of ‘Grace’
I highly recommend this drought-tolerant, native plant. It is easy to find in the local nurseries and although it can be grown from seed, it is best to start with a plant. If you don’t have the space try the compact types that could serve as drought resistant, summer container plants.