Tip #3: Wandflower (Gaura lindheimeri)
Wandflower brings a sense of dynamic movement to the garden that few other perennials can match. Often sold under cultivar names like ‘Whirling Butterflies’ or ‘Siskiyou Pink’, this North American native features delicate, four-petaled flowers that hover on long, wiry stems high above the main clump of foliage. When even a slight breeze rolls through your yard, the blooms dance and sway, creating the illusion of a flock of butterflies hovering over your garden beds.
This plant is a genuine self-cleaning marvel. As each delicate flower finishes its lifespan, the petals drop cleanly away to the ground, leaving no unsightly brown husks behind. Fresh flowers open continuously along the extending stems from late spring all the way until the first frost. You never have to step in to tidy it up; the plant manages its own aesthetic perfectly.
Growing best in USDA Zones 5 through 9, Gaura relies on a deep, fleshy taproot that makes it exceptionally drought-tolerant once established in your landscape. Because of this taproot, you should choose its planting location carefully—it does not like to be moved once it settles in. It reaches impressive heights of 3 to 4 feet, providing fantastic mid-border height without blocking the view of the plants behind it, thanks to its wonderfully transparent, airy structure. Give it full sun and well-draining soil, and it will reward you with tireless, graceful blooming.
