14 Jan Butterfly flower
Gaura lindheirmeri Gaura parviflora
A very popular cottage perennial. At the
time of printing this booklet it is an offence
to sell, propagate or knowingly distribute
the plant without a permit.
Family: Onagraceae
Origin: USA and Mexico border region
Habit: Sprawling perennial herb, 0.6-1.2m high with a 0.6-0.9m spread.
Leaves: The leaves are simple, narrow, irregular and spoon shaped,
2.5-7.6 cm long, with toothed margins. Often blotched red.
Flowers: Small, butterfly-like blooms adorn long willowy stems. Blooms
are white when they open at dawn, fading to rose-pink by the
end of the day and are produced for a very long period. Other
varieties produce flowers of pinks and crimson. Spring-Autumn.
Fruit: Small 4 sided elongated capsule persisting after the flowers containing
numerous tiny seeds.
Roots: Fibrous root system tolerant of a wide range of soil types from
sand to clay.
Dispersal: Seed and vegetation spread by water, humans, contaminated
soil (earthmoving/slashing equipment, car tyres etc) and garden
refuse dumping.
Control: Hand pull/dig, Foliar spray.
A recent addition to the noxious weeds
list in NSW. The ban on Gaura has been
challenged by members of the nursery
industry who are working on the
development of safer sterile hybrids.
Regardless of the decision these plants
need to be actively managed.
