Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri 'Siskiyou Pink')
Gaura lindheimeri 'Siskiyou Pink' offers beautiful rose pink, butterfly-like flowers from May to August in full sun locations.
Scroll down to discover growing tips, care requirements, companion plants, and more
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’ is a superb herbaceous perennial, aptly named for its superb flowers deriving from the Greek word gauros. This cultivar is highly valued by gardeners for its continuous display of delicate, rose-pink, butterfly-like blooms that appear over many months from late spring into late summer. Its airy, wiry structure adds movement and lightness to garden beds, making it an excellent choice for softening borders.
As a versatile plant, Gaura offers excellent drought and heat tolerance once established, thriving where other perennials might struggle. The long bloom period ensures sustained color, making the selection of Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’ a smart investment in seasonal garden interest. Its upright habit, despite tendancies to become leggy, offers vertical contrast against mounding plants.
The genus, Gaura, provides a graceful visual texture that works well in mixed plantings or when massed together for a naturalized meadow effect. Gardeners appreciate the relatively low maintenance required by this taprooted perennial, provided its crucial drainage needs are met.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Onagraceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 5-8
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 2.5-3 ft
- Spread: 2.5-3 ft
- Bloom Time: May to August
- Bloom Description: Rose pink
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Medium
How to Grow
Plant Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’ in its permanent location in the spring, ensuring it receives full, unrelenting sun exposure throughout the day for the best performance and compact growth. The most critical cultural requirement for this plant, which has a deep taproot, is excellent soil drainage; best growth occurs in sandy or loamy soils that do not retain excessive moisture. Poor drainage is the single biggest factor leading to root rot issues.
Water needs are generally medium; while established plants tolerate drought well due to their taproot structure, consistent watering during establishment or severe dry spells is beneficial. Fertilizer is typically unnecessary and often detrimental, as rich soils encourage weak, floppy stems. Control size by cutting back plants by half in the late spring if they appear too tall, or use close planting to provide mutual support against wind.
Deadheading spent flower spikes regularly will significantly prolong the impressive blooming season of Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’. If you allow seed heads to remain through the fall and winter, plants may self-seed. Minimal winter preparation is needed beyond potential cleanup of old foliage in early spring.
Landscape Uses
This Gaura cultivar excels in sunny borders where its airy form can blend seamlessly with stiffer, more structural plants. Due to its medium height and radiant blooms, Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’ is highly effective when planted in groups or massed displays, creating a floating cloud of pink color throughout the summer months.
Consider grouping this plant with complementary drought-tolerant perennials that share its full-sun requirement, such as coneflowers or ornamental salvias. The light, whipping stems of Gaura provide excellent visual contrast against the bold foliage of many sun-loving companions. Additionally, while it prefers being planted in garden beds, it can successfully be grown in containers, provided the container offers exceptional drainage.
For a bolder impact, use this plant in wild gardens or naturalized areas where its tendency to self-seed is welcomed, allowing it to spread naturally across a larger space. This use perfectly capitalizes on the informal, graceful habit of Gaura.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Gaura lindheimeri, commonly called gaura, is a herbaceous clump-forming perennial that is native to Texas and Louisiana. Pinkish buds along wiry, erect, wand-like stems open to white flowers which slowly fade to pink. The genus name Gaura comes from the Greek gauros meaning “superb” in reference to the beautiful flowers. Specific epithet honors Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer (1801-1879), Texas plant collector. ‘Siskiyou Pink’ typically grows 2.5-3’ tall on rigid, wiry stems, featuring 4-petaled, butterfly-like flowers which emerge rose pink from deep maroon buds over a long spring to autumn bloom time.
Tolerances
- None Listed
Potential Problems
The primary risk for this Gaura variety involves moisture management; root rot is a significant concern if the soil is heavy or allows water to pool. Rust and powdery mildew can occasionally appear, though good air circulation helps mitigate these fungal issues. Gardeners should monitor for common pests like aphids, whitefly, and flea beetles. If stems become leggy, they may require structural support from neighboring plants or staking, though close planting often resolves this issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Gaura suitable for?
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’ is reliably hardy in USDA Zones 5 through 8.
How large does Gaura grow?
This perennial typically achieves a height between 2.5 and 3 feet, with a similar spread of 2.5 to 3 feet when fully mature.
What sun exposure does Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’ need?
For optimal blooming performance and stature, this plant requires full sun exposure daily.
When does Gaura bloom?
You can expect the rose pink flowers of this Gaura cultivar to appear from May well into August.
Conclusion
The combination of extended bloom time, heat tolerance, and striking rose-pink color solidifies Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’ as a dependable choice for sunny gardens. Its elegant shape and relatively low demands make it a fantastic addition to mixed borders and naturalized settings. Before planting, confirm your garden falls within USDA Zones 5-8 and ensure you can provide the essential well-drained soil this beautiful Gaura requires.
Companion Planting
Selecting appropriate partners is key to managing the growth habit of Gaura. Pair Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’ with plants that offer contrasting textures or heights but share similar cultural needs, particularly full sun and medium water. Excellent choices include Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) whose silvery foliage complements the pink blooms, or shorter, sturdy plants like Coreopsis or Sedum that don’t need to be moved to provide stem support. Avoid planting Gaura in perpetually moist areas like near water features where drainage is naturally poor.
Design Ideas
For a stunning prairie-style planting, mass Gaura in drifts rather than scattering single specimens. Its light, airy nature works well as a transitional plant between bolder masses of color and the garden edge. Use the contrast between the dark, maroon-tinged foliage of ‘Siskiyou Pink’ and silvery foliage plants to enhance the color show, particularly in the intense afternoon heat where many other flowers slump. Due to its height, place it mid-border or toward the back, unless using it to soften a pathway edge.
