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Minnesota Gardening

Gaura lindheimeri wintered over!

19 years ago

Last mid-summer I bought a steeply marked down Gaura lindheimeri Siskiyou Pink for the bed on the south side of my house, next to a brick wall. I thought given the markdown, it could be justified as an annual to fill in a blank spot for the rest of the summer. To my surprise, it bloomed into late October. The foliage was still living when I put down mulch in early December. This weekend I was delighted to find new growth eight inches tall and filling out nicely. A 2004 Yard and Garden Line article rated it hardy only to Zone 6, others list it for Zone 5. This one even survived last week's late freeze. They are such nice plants, I think I will splurge on a couple more this year, and see if I can triple my good luck.

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Comments (2)

lily_digger
19 years ago
I'm inspired! I looked at a single, nicely sized plant at the Excelsior Linder's summer sale about 5 times. I finally made up my mind to buy it and went back, but it was gone. I'll be looking for one this year! Thanks for letting us know.
sandysgardens
19 years ago
I winter sowed some Gaura Lindheimeri and have had success with sprouts in the jugs this sprint. I now have added hope that if I can keep these seedlings alive, I might be in store for some plants that will over winter for me.
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My gaura is a hot mess!
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Comments (4)
We have basically had a drought all summer here along with 90-100 degrees for whole month of July. Had a garden walk here for a couple of church ladies groups 1st of August so I was watering continuously. My white gaura is blooming nicely while my pink ones are just starting to bloom. My experience with them is they really don't take off till it cools off a little. They seem to put on the show in the fall. We've had temps down in 40's-50's at night, 70's daytime, the last week and they are really getting some color now. Mine have never really flopped and I never get around to fertilizing.
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WANTED: Gaura lindheimeri
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Comments (3)
As a young plant it may be not have set seed. Watch for seed formation on the stem just below the flowers. Seeds look like tiny leaves but are firm to touch. I watch for maturity...turn slight brown colour from green and fall off stem easily. So far I've collected four seeds! LOL I'll be bringing my gauras inside for the winter as I'm still unsure of their suvival rate in Zone 4/5. Pink gaura did not make it through 2004. But a white species survived last year in my rose garden! sam
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Introduction! (plus a question about gaura)
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Comments (13)
IME, drainage is the most likely problem for winter survival of those plants that like good drainage. I think you are perhaps in the midwest/Great Lakes area IIRC? If you have fine-textured soils like silts and clays, they retain too much moisture for plants that need good winter drainage. If you can elevate them slightly and add some coarser material to the mound, or plant along the top edge of a retaining wall or in a somewhat elevated bed, that may help.
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Gaura over winter?
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Comments (2)
Heh, Irma, only since no one is responding to your post, I'll tell you that my Gaura lindheimeri did not fare well over last winter.....................up here in Wisconsin! Big help, I know! FWIW-and I know it's not much-mine was in super-well-drained location in my rock garden. We had a rare low-snow winter though, and that site is one of those places where wind currents, etc, tend to blow the snow off, not pile it on. Tough situation to say the least. Hopefully, you'll get some meaningful replies. +oM
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