Oenothera lindheimeri

A delicate, airy perennial that brings lightness and movement to the garden with butterfly-like blooms from May to September. Drought-tolerant and low- maintenance, it is one of the most effective perennials for adding softness and colour to meadow planting.

Gaura is a graceful long-flowering perennial native to Texas and Louisiana but perfectly adapted to Mediterranean conditions. It produces a constant cloud of small four-petalled flowers, white turning pink or fully pink, hovering on thin wiry stems above the foliage from late spring through autumn — typically May to November. The flowers move and dance in the slightest breeze, earning the popular name 'whirling butterflies'. Hardy to -10°C, drought-tolerant once established, the plant thrives in poor soils, full sun and reflected heat; rich moist conditions cause floppy growth that needs staking. Short-lived (3–4 years) but self-seeds gently in suitable conditions.

Gaura grows 60–120 cm tall and 60–90 cm wide with a soft airy habit. Use in masses through the middle of dry borders, drifting between Lavandula, Salvia rosmarinus, Stipa tenuissima and Verbena bonariensis for a soft prairie-Mediterranean look; in informal cottage compositions with Rosa, Centranthus ruber and Erigeron karvinskianus; and in large terracotta pots where the dancing flowers soften terrace edges. The white form combines with absolutely everything; the pink forms ('Siskiyou Pink', 'Crimson Butterflies') work powerfully against deep blue Salvia 'Caradonna' and the silver of Stachys byzantina. Cut back hard in late winter to maintain compact growth.