Plantidote of the Day 2012-06-05 UPDATED!

Gaura lindheimeri

Gaura or Whirling butterflies

Thanks to jerztomato, this mystery flower has been id'd!! According to my garden book, gaura is a Southwest native and long-lived perennial. Very low maintenance. It can tolerate drought, likes sun, and doesn't need much attention at all. It blooms for months, and will self seed, so the post-bloom spikes should be cut back or you'll end up with more gaura than you'll know what to do with. If you're not fond of pink, there's a white version, too.

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Readers, please send twig (twig4now@gmail.com) images and stories for the ongoing Plantidote of the Day series. In exchange, you'll win undying fame in the form of a hat tip! Plants growing in your garden, your house, or neighbor's yard, plants from the forest or farmers' market, plants you preserved, plants you prepared (wine; cider; tea; dried beans), plants you harvested (grains; chantrelles), plants you picked (flowers), plants you dried (herbs), plants you covet or hope to grow someday. Herbal remedies, propagation tips, new varieties, etc.. And if you can, include some solid detail about the plant, too -- a story, the genus and species, or where you got the seeds, or the recipe, or your grandmother gave it to you. Or challenge us with a "Name That Plant" mystery entry ... And please feel free to add corrections and additional information in the comments.

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