The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 3 Summer 2012 | Page 17

Gaura

Gaura lindheimeri
This pretty herbaceous perennial adds
delicate grace across the garden and a
touch of romance to your borders. It’s
pretty in pots and wonderful as a border
plant, it can also be used as a cut flower.
It looks best if planted en masse in
garden beds.
The starry, four-petalled flowers usually
come in white and a variety of different
shades of pink. In the breeze, they
move constantly, looking like a cloud of
small butterflies. Needless to say, this
North American wild flower is also a
good plant for attracting butterflies. The
slender erect stems bear small leaves at
the base. Sometimes, red speckles may
appear on the leaves; don’t be alarmed,
it is one of the characteristics of this
plant.
Gaura is a low maintenance plant, as it
does not require frequent dead heading
like most plants do. However, it is a good
idea to cut back the stems once they
have finished flowering to encourage
new growth. It is also a drought resistant
plant. Gaura prefers an open space
in full sun and well-drained soil that
isn’t necessarily rich, although plants
respond well to enriched soil.

Gomphostigma

Gomphostigma virgatum
The river star, as it is also known, has silvery
branches with slender grey leaves, which
carry bunches of starry white, fragrant flowers
excellent for cutting. The perennial flowers
bloom nearly all year round but the best time
to see it has to be in summer. This elegant
evergreen can reach a height of two metres,
and it is a great plant to add a bit of height to
any garden bed.
Native to South Africa and Zimbabwe, it can
be found along rivers and watercourses.
You can be sure to get birds in your garden
as they like to use the flexible branches
to build their nests. Gomphostigma is a
wonderful accessory for any water garden.
This shrub also looks good when grown in a
bed, especially with Heliotrope, Gaura and
Diamond frost.
Plant it out where there is an adequate
supply of water and in full sun. Cutting back
is necessary in winter to encourage more new
growth and flowers for the following summer.
Being a frost hardy and non-invasive plant,
Gomphostigma is definitely worth planting!

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