Gaura Graceful White

Gaura 'Graceful White' (Gaura lindheimeri 'Graceful White') carries small white flowers like hovering butterflies on wiry stems, from spring right through to autumn, on a clump about 70cm tall and 60cm wide. It moves in the lightest breeze, which is why designers use it to soften rigid plantings. Underneath the delicate look it is one of the toughest perennials you can buy: frost, heat, drought and salt wind all leave it alone.

Why you'll love it

• Months of flower, not weeks. It opens in spring and keeps going into autumn, which few perennials sustain without deadheading.
• Movement in the planting. The flowers sit on thin stems well clear of the foliage, so the whole clump shifts in the wind.
• It survives almost anything. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, heat tolerant and salt tolerant, from arid inland gardens to coastal front yards.
• Fast to establish. Planted at 50cm centres it closes into a continuous drift within a single growing season.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 50cm apart along a path or the front of a bed. The airy habit blurs a hard edge rather than lining it.

Mass planting. The same 50cm spacing in broad drifts, repeated between grasses or clipped shrubs, gives the effect it is known for.

Pots and rockeries. Happy in a 300mm pot or tucked between rocks, where sharp drainage suits it better than a rich garden bed.

Growing Gaura in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, and it will not perform in shade. The climate range is unusually broad, covering subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, so it works from Brisbane to Melbourne and well inland.

Soil. Free draining above all else. Poor, sandy and gravelly soils are fine, and rich soil makes it floppy. Wet winter ground is the one thing that reliably kills it, so mound the bed on clay.

Water and feed. Water twice a week for the first two months, then only through extended dry spells. Feeding is close to optional; a light dose of slow release fertiliser in early spring is plenty.

Pruning. Cut the whole clump back to about 15cm in late winter to keep it dense and force fresh flowering stems. If it sprawls by midsummer, shear it back by a third and it will rebloom within weeks.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it in two sizes: a tube, and 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Tubes are young plants of a few stems and the sensible buy for a large drift, since gaura grows fast enough that a larger pot's head start barely matters by the end of the first season. The 140mm pack of ten covers roughly 2.5 square metres at 50cm spacing.

Perennials travel best cut back, so do not be surprised if yours arrives trimmed and short. It will push new growth within two to three weeks in warm weather. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Perennials for a cottage garden
• Plants for mass planting
• Choosing edging plants
• More drought tolerant plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

50cm apart for a soft mass planting or a border run. Closer than that and the clumps compete and go leggy; wider, and you can still see the mulch a year later.

Does it self seed?

Lightly, in warm gardens with open ground. It is not a weed risk in Australian conditions, and the late winter cut back removes most seed heads before they scatter.

Why has mine gone floppy and stopped flowering?

Almost always too much shade, water or feeding. Shear it back by a third, ease off the fertiliser, and move it to full sun if that is the issue.

How long does a plant last?

Three to five years is realistic. It is a short lived perennial, so plan on replacing a drift in stages.