Gaura lindheimerii 'Cool Breeze' (Oenothera) - BEEBLOSSOM 'COOL BREEZE'

Unique, light, wiry structure with a rich blooming and very long flowering season (June to frost), fast growth, pure white flowers.

Shorter-lived perennial that can reseed, or can be grown as an annual and re-planted every year.

Nowadays you can find many varieties with shorter habits and more pink to red flowers. Gaura’s name comes from the Greek “gauros” meaning superb, in reference to the beautiful flowers. Occasional maroon spots on leaves or stems are not caused by disease but occur naturally. Recommended spacing about 1.5-2 feet.

Blooming Time: June-October
Size: 3’ high x 2’ wide
USDA Zones: 6 to 9
Culture: Full sun, preferably drained soil (sandy, gravely) with less nutrients. Becomes floppy in too-rich and moist soils.
Moisture Needs: dry to medium
Origin: Wild Beeblossom (G. lindheimerii) is native to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Utah, where can be found on various drained soils in the prairies, pinelands or pond edges. See the BONAP distribution map. Introduced to the market by the seed company Jelitto in 2018
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: yes/yes (some sources mention that it is browsed by deer in Texas, where it’s native)
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: yes, both
Attracts Hummingbirds: no
Pot Size: 3.5" x 4" perennial pot (1.22 pt/580 ml)
Plant Combinations: Gaura looks excellent and combines nicely with many summer flowering perennials or annuals; it looks best with some rough structure like Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Coreopsis or with grasses (Panicum, Pennisetum etc.). It can be used in private gardens and you can often find it in public spaces, usually in bigger containers.

Picture copyright : Penn State, College of Agricultural Sciences