Gaura lindheimeri Corrie's Gold

Boy do they sprawl!
I don't mind as it's a thoroughly worthy addition to any garden, and even the most brutal of haircuts will leave enough of the plant in bloom.

That is good to hear Meanie, they say they are up right! but mines sprawls but they are very pretty.

They do go woody, so I'm sure that if we staked a few stems upright and cut all other growth they could form an attractive upright bush.

Mine is still soft and bendy only been in 2 years though.

I find the white form far hardier than the pink form - I was gobsmacked that mine (which was grown from seed last spring) came through that last winter.

I was surprised mine survived. Are they easy from seed?

95% germination on a window sill. Can't get much easier!

That sounds good Meanie

Lovely!

Thanks Pixi

Love them, but so untidy, good behind something that can hold them up...sadly lost both of mine last Winter, won't be replacing them though...

I agree Crissue

:o)))

Oh No, no no no! This beautiful classic "must have" plant is being misunderstood so I had to step in and fight it's corner.

G. lindheimeri, the species plant is a fantastic thing with its upright paper white fluttering flowers that dance in the tiniest breeze. It looks magical with grasses with seed heads that do the same but will liven up any spot in the sun.

The trick with this one is POOR SOIL, Im not shouting just emphasising this, and I cant enough. The poorer the soil the sturdier and more delightful it is. It's a wild flower that grows in well drained, stony, sandy type poor soil that contains little organic material or nitrogen. Its roots (thick large tap root) like to anchor in between the stony ground, it loves wind it thrives in wind. Though constant rain will leave it a bit hunched.

Problem is it also grows well in good moist soil, far too well and tends to just tower on up and then flop over and continue along the ground making a messy sprawl. Staking isn't worth it as it bunches together losing all its airy desirable dainty delightfulness.

So amend an area by removing the nice rich top layer or soil you've worked so hard creating, along with the compost, mulch, fertilisers and replace with sandy gravel pumice what ever you have that doesn't hold nutrients or moisture well and that doesn't break down. Then plant, you will adore forever. BTW most wild grasses love this type of soil too and also tend to flop in rich soils. You may also cut it back well before height becomes an issue, in between each flower flush if you want a lower plant. No even if you do this on rich soils it wont stand up, it will just be a mini flop.

There are a number of cultivars of this (Corries gold) but they honestly don't hold up to the species plant (G. lindheimeri) with it's pale shell pink buds, large striking white flowers on hair thin upright stalks. This character is lost in most "new" ones with top heavy dense flower stalks or too short, tangled etc etc but good for colour as the cultivars or hybrids do also come in variegated foliage and dark pink and pink flower variations. Having said that all of them perform much better on poor soils and are worth a try but for different effects.

Thanks for that SP that explains why mine struggles as it is in heavy clay! I might try a cutting in grit and see if I can grow a new one as I have a poor soil area to put it in.