Gaura Lindheimeri 'Confetti Pink'

Confetti™ Pink Gaura / Whirling Butterflies

Botanical Name: Gaura lindheimeri ‘Confetti Pink’ (syn. Oenothera lindheimeri)
Family: Onagraceae
Origin: South-central USA (Texas) – garden cultivar selection
Plant Type: Evergreen to semi-evergreen perennial (airy, clump-forming)

Overview

A compact, sun-loving gaura that covers itself in soft to bright pink “butterfly” blooms for months. Perfect for Adelaide/South Australian gardens—thrives in full sun, heat and free-draining soils, bringing movement and colour to borders, gravel/Mediterranean beds and pots. Flowers spring through late autumn, with quick rebloom after a light shear.

Key Features

• Mature Size: 0.4–0.6 m H × 0.4–0.6 m W (naturally compact)
• Growth Rate: 20–40 cm per year under good conditions
• Foliage: Narrow, lanceolate mid- to grey-green leaves; young stems often reddish; foliage may bronze lightly in cool weather
• Flowers: Pink, 4-petalled “whirling butterflies” on fine wands; heaviest spring–autumn (spot flushes in warm spells)
  
• Seasonal Interest: Very long flowering window; neat basal clump through winter
• Wildlife Value: Nectar for bees and butterflies
• Tolerance: Drought- & heat-tolerant once established; wind-tolerant; second-line coastal OK; light frost hardy (protect from hard frosts in the Hills); dislikes waterlogging/heavy clay
• Planting Density: Edging 3 per metre (≈30–40 cm centres); Mass 5–7 plants/m²; Containers 25–30 cm pots; shear to rebloom
• Pet Friendly: Generally non-toxic; ingestion of any plant may upset pets

Where It Works Best

• Sunlight: Full sun (best bloom) to light part shade (fewer flowers)
• Soil: Free-draining sandy/loam; thrives on neutral–alkaline (calcareous) Adelaide soils; raise/mound on clay to avoid winter wet feet
• Water Needs: Establishment: 2 deep soaks/week for 8–12 weeks. Established: deep soak every 2–3 weeks in summer (weekly in heatwaves); minimal in winter
• Maintenance: Dead-head or shear by ~⅓ after flushes to trigger fast rebloom; tip-prune for shape; cut back hard in late winter to a low mound; feed lightly in spring (too much N = floppy growth)
• Lifespan: 3–5+ years in sharp drainage (often treated as a short-lived perennial)
• Climate Zones: Temperate & Mediterranean SA—excellent on Adelaide Plains and second-line coastal; choose frost-sheltered, free-draining positions in the Hills
• Soil pH: Neutral to alkaline (tolerates slightly acidic if well-drained)

Landscape & Design Ideas

• Cottage/Mediterranean borders with salvias, lavenders & grasses
• Gravel gardens and low-water street-side beds for colour and motion
• Containers for sunny courtyards and alfresco spaces

Why You Will Love It

An easy, months-long bloomer that laughs at Adelaide heat, adds airy pink colour and movement, and needs only a quick shear to keep the show rolling.