Gaura lindheimeri 'Whirling Butterflies'

RHS Plant Profile
gaura 'Whirling Butterflies'

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gaura 'Whirling Butterflies' RHS
gaura 'Whirling Butterflies' RHS
gaura 'Whirling Butterflies' RHS

Synonyms

Gaura lindheimeri 'Whirling Butterflies'

Plants for pollinators
Herbaceous Perennial
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An upright, herbaceous perennial to about 80cm, producing airy spires of delicate white flowers with long white stamens. These open from pink buds over a long period from late spring to early autumn

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H4

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Onagraceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
Genus
Oenothera can be annuals, biennials or perennials, upright or spreading in habit, with simple or lobed leaves and bowl-shaped, white, yellow or pink flowers over a long period in summer
Name Status
Synonym
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea

This genus has changed from Gaura to Oenothera

How to Grow

Cultivation

Best grown in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun; but dry soils and partial shade tolerated

Propagation

Propagate by division, basal cuttings or softwood cuttings in spring or by semi-ripe cuttings in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Prairie planting
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Can produce autumn tints in cold weather so delay cutting back until spring

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free