Fill Bare Spots In Your Garden With One Hardy, Fast-Growing Perennial Flower

Are empty spots in your landscape crying out for a flower that is a butterfly magnet and makes a perfect perennial border? Oenothera lindheimeri, a tough, low-maintenance flowering plant known by multiple names, could be the perfect filler for those bare spots, especially if you're looking to attract pollinators or filling an area with sandy soils. 

Oenothera lindheimeri underwent a name change when it was moved into a different genus by taxonomists early this century. Its former genus name, gaura, has stuck as a common name for many in the garden world, but the plant is also known by additional common names —wand flower, appleblossom grass, bee blossom, butterfly gaura, Indian feather, Lindheimer's beeblossom, Lindheimer's clockweed, Lindheimer's gaura, pink gaura, and whirling butterflies. Gaura, as it's known colloquially, is a perennial native to the south-central United States that is heat- and drought-tolerant thanks to its thick taproot that reaches deeply into the soil for moisture.

Gaura works well in a garden with a diverse range of annuals and perennials. Its "whirling butterflies" nickname gives you an idea of how this plant might look in your garden, with butterfly-like flowers dancing and swaying in the wind atop delicate (and sometimes colorful) stems. 

Ready to learn how to grow and take care of gaura plants? Gaura thrives in USDA Hardiness zones 5 through 9. Plant gaura from seed in moist, well-drained soil; it tolerates a range of soil types, but does not prefer nutrient-rich soil. Similarly, gaura has low fertilizer needs. A light spring fertilizer application will do. You can expect gaura to grow up to 2 feet tall before blooms arrive in early summer. Deadhead flowers during the blooming season to keep it blooming into fall, but be aware of mistakes to avoid when deadheading your garden's flowers). Provide gaura with full sun to partial shade.

Consider planting these delicate flowers in large groups, so their wispy appearance will have the best impact. Bees and butterflies should be plentiful around this critical mass of flowers. Compact gaura cultivars are available and are well-suited to landscape borders and edges. You can also grow gaura in containers.

Gaura's deep taproot may make the plant difficult to transplant or divide, but most species are self-seeding, so more plants are assured. The plant could suffer root rot if soil isn't well-drained and is also susceptible to rust and powdery mildew. Aphids, whiteflies, and flea beetles are the pests most likely to affect this plant. Still, guara is tough, so you should be able to enjoy this delightful plant as it grows to fill bares spots in your garden for years to come.