Gaura Corrie's Gold

Gaura lindheimeri Corrie's Gold forms a beautiful vigorous clump, extremely floriferous, covering from June to September with abundant white and pale pink flowers, nuanced with brown on the outside of the petals. Its foliage is deciduous, composed of small hairy, pale green leaves bordered in gold. Its growth is fast. This plant, although short-lived, is both elegant and proud, essential in a flower garden. Ideal in dry to fresh, even poor soil, in the sun.

Gaura lindheimeri Corrie's Gold belongs to the Onagraceae family, it is a cousin of evening primroses. The natural range of Gaura lindheimeri from which it originates is located on the borders of Mexico and the United States (Prairies and pine forests of Louisiana and Texas, Houston). It is one of the most floriferous plants. 'Corrie's Gold' has a slightly loose clump-like growth habit. It is a perennial with a taproot, forming from a rosette a bushy clump, slightly spreading, 80 cm in height, with a spread of 50 cm. It is the branched, very numerous and slender floral stems that give the plant its bushy appearance. Flowering occurs in successive waves, from mid-spring to autumn. Butterfly-like flowers succeed each other, grouped in panicles 30 to 80 cm long, white, washed with pale pink, slightly amber on the outside, identical to the type. The foliage is magnificent. The blade of each leaf is variegated on the edge with light green, cream and golden yellow. These small leaves are fuzzy on both sides. The root system is a taproot that allows the plant to anchor itself in poor, even rocky soils.

Gauras have quickly become the stars of urban flower beds and gardens. This success is explained by their incredible floriferousness and the speed at which they develop. These plants, which seem unaffected by the wind, quickly become essential for those who have tried them for a year. Wherever they are planted, they will bring lightness and grace. Gaura lindheimeri 'Corrie's Gold' has its place in the background of herbaceous borders or beds. It pairs well with roses, grows among shrubs like abelias and deutzias, accompanies frugal perennials like hemerocallis, catmints, Scabiosa Moon Dance, Asclepias Ice Ballet and Oenothera versicolor. Gaura also thrives in large pots.

Despite what one might think, and what is often written, gaura is of the masculine gender: we speak of a gaura and not a gaura. The species name comes from the Greek 'gauros' which means magnificent, proud, alluding to its amazing flowering resembling butterflies hanging on its stems.