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Gaura lindheimeri

 
Gaura lindheimeri
Gaura lindheimeri
Gaura lindheimeri

Family onagraceae
Life cycle perennial (Z5-10)
Flowers pink (summer)
Size 3'
Light sun
Cultural notes ordinary garden soil (drought-tolerant)
From seed germinate at room temperature, may be slow
Flowers first year from seed sown indoors early.
detailed seed-starting info below

We had our first batch of gauras in Pennsylvania for years, then all of a sudden one year none of them came back. It was after a somewhat harsher winter, so I considered them marginally hardy in zone 6. But perhaps they're just short-lived (I've even seen it on a few lists of biennials - but they've lasted more than two years in our garden). In one batch grown from seed; the plants bloomed hesitatingly in their first year, and more enthusiastically the second year. Having moved to Houston, I find that all the stores offer the red-leaved, pink-flowered variety rather than the white one. I like both, but I think I prefer the habit of my old white ones – whether that habit is due to the variety or to the difference in gardening conditions, I don't know. In any case, the plants are hardy but not long-lived here as well – but easy to come by, so we're never long without them.

Gaura lindheimeri
Gaura lindheimeri
Gaura lindheimeri
I like the cute little white cross-shaped features (stigmas, most likely) contrasting with the pink petals

In our garden, this plant grows in the following area: back fence border

One or more images of this plant are included in my stock photo catalog

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Seed-starting details for this plant

  1. Seed from '04 trade. Baggy 70F (80%G, 7-45d)
  2. Same seed as above. Baggy 70F (no G, 4w)
  3. Seed from '07 garden. Baggy 70F (no G, 23d). May have harvested these too early.
  4. Seed from '13 trade. Baggy 70F (85%G, 11-16d)

Seeds look like blimp-shaped pods. More than one seedling can emerge from the same pod. Germination continues over an extended period.


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