'Sunny Butterflies' Gaura; or,
Gold-edged Beeblossom; or,
Variegated Wandflower
Gaura lindheimeri 'Sunny Butterflies' originated as a variegated sport of 'Siskiyou Pink.'
It was developed at Plant Growers Australia in Victoria, under the guidance of Howard Bentley, who had earlier developed 'Crimson Butterflies' & 'Blushing Butterflies.'
This is likely the most startling of his trademarked gauras, as the creamy yellow-edged leaves make it a stand-out among so many rather too-similar cultivars on the market.
The long wands of flowers are a rich rose pink. The upper part of the stems are maroon-red. Flowers begin in June & last deep into autumn, with sometimes a random flower even in winter.
At two feet of height, it is smaller, more compact, & more upright than the usual weeping-willowy gaura, though it might over time become rangier & bigger if never pruned.
The species is native of the American southwest & Mexico. Although very drought tolerant, occasional watering certainly improves its appearance. Once it has established its deep taproot, it is impervious to harm, & will live an extremely long life in the garden, producing scads of flowers for years of long seasons.
It can be propogated from cuttings, with the cut end dipped in rooting hormone & started in a coldframe. Mature plants need to be hard-pruned at the end of winter to make room for new growth, & will take until late May or early June to really get going again, at which time it will yet again flower non-stop right up to the door of winter.