Sunday, May 22, 2016

Gaura as a Foliage Plant

As my pink-flowered Gaura comes into full bloom, I am entranced with this plant.  Not just for the dancing blooms, but also for the handsome foliage and form.
The fact that the flowering stems elongate over the season, moving the blossom further and further from the base of the plants, allows the gardener to look at it almost as two plants: one of long, wiry stems punctuated by brilliant flowers, the other a fairly compact, graceful foliage plant.

It is the foliage part of it that I want to look at today.  Note: Sadly, I don't know what variety this is.  It was labeled only as "Gaura lindheimeri" sic; but it cannot be the species, which has white flowers.  "Siskiyou Pink" is the old standby pink-flowered cultivar, but now there seem to be plenty of others.  On the whole, given the size and the deep red stems, I am guessing this is "Pink Cloud".

Gaura (recently reclassified as Oenothera lindheimeri) has slender leaves on well-clad stems.
On this variety at least the new growth is a rich mahogany.
It combines beautifully with other bronze-hued plants, such as this Lagerstroemia.
Mature leaves are a bright, medium green, side by side with the bronze-toned young growth.
The whole plant has a delicate effect, springing from a slender base.  The leaves help give it a sculptural quality.
Oenothera lindheimeri originates in Texas and Louisiana.  Predictably, it is well-adapted to heat but also is surprisingly tolerant of drought.  Hardy to -10 F to -20 F (-23 C to -29 C), it is a rugged, tap-rooted rhizomatous plant that has moved into my garden without the least stress.  It combines with all nearby plants and has so far shown a phenomenal capacity for staying in bloom!  And rabbits seem to be leaving it alone.  Need I say more...?

This look at the foliage of a plant known mostly for its flowers is my contribution for this month's Garden Bloggers Foliage Day with Christina at My Hesperides Garden.  Happy GBFD!
Weather Diary: Fair; High: 90 F (32 C)/Low: 66 F (19 C)

7 comments:

  1. I agree completely that looking at the foliage of plants we choose for flowers is a great idea. Flowers on their own make only part of the contribution. I grow Gaura too for its drought tolerant qualities. When there are lots of new seedlings it is great that the ones that will be pink have different coloured foliage, it makes choosing which ones to keep much easier.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Christina! So sorry I'm replying this late - somehow I lost track of comments here, and then we had very limited internet access, so now I'm (hopefully) catching up a bit! Very glad to see your note on the seedlings too :)

      Delete
  2. I didn't know Gaura had been reclassified! Oh, when will this name changing ever stop?! The Gaura/Oenothera is pretty. I planted one of the red-foliaged forms this year myself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's hard to think of this as an Oenothera anyway, so I'm just waiting for them to change it back LOL! I've been so pleased with this particular variety; I really wish I knew which it is. Enjoy yours :)

      Delete
  3. Amy, I love how you have described this plant from the point of view of its foliage. It really is such a lovely plant for the hot garden. I really enjoy this in my own garden but I particularly like the color of this mahogany leaved one. I believe you have used this in an arrangement? Any idea as to its vase life? Gorgeous photos as always :-))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a fantastic plant, isn't it? So versatile and so pretty at the same time! I only tried cutting it once; I'm afraid it wilted too quickly to be much use in a vase. Very unfortunate, since it would be a splendid addition otherwise. Another blogger told me her experience was similar. Best to just enjoy it in the garden, I guess ;-) Thanks so much!

      Delete
  4. How can I get my gaura to bloom all summer in Georgia. It blooms just for a season early on and then it is gone

    ReplyDelete