Appearance

Growth form

This clump-forming perennial usually reaches 3–5 ft (0.9–1.5 m) tall and 1–2 ft (0.3–0.6 m) wide. Its wiry stems may lean or arch.

Leaves

The simple leaves are narrow or spoon-shaped and alternate up the stems. Fine hairs and shallow teeth may be visible in a close photo.

Flowers

Each flower has four upward-angled petals around eight long yellow stamens. Pink buds open white, then often age to pale pink, with only a few flowers open on each raceme at once.

Flowering time

In the United States it blooms from summer into fall, often continuing until the first frost.

Fruit

A small green, nutlike fruit follows the flower and matures gray-brown in fall. It does not split open and holds reddish-brown seeds.

Look-alikes

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• prairies
• pine flatwoods
• pond edges
• sunny gardens

Range

It is native to southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana. It is also grown far beyond that small native range as a garden plant.

Preferred conditions

Give it full sun and moist but well-drained soil. Its taproot helps an established plant handle heat and short dry spells, while soggy soil can lead to root rot.

Growing it

Propagation

Gardeners can propagate it by seed, division, or stem cuttings.

Connected species

Ties with other wildlife

It is a caterpillar host for the white-lined sphinx moth in North America.

Pollinators

In U.S. gardens the flowers attract bumblebees, other long-tongued bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Pollinators

• bumblebeesBombus

  Bumblebees visit the flowers in U.S. gardens.

Name and classification

About the name

It was previously called Gaura lindheimeri.

Varieties and forms

Cultivars range from white to deep pink and include compact, tall, and variegated-leaf forms.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed

Culture and stories

Culture and stories

• The species honors Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer, a nineteenth-century plant collector in Texas.