Heavy clay water that retains water will spell death for Gauras. Like western Agastaches, they don't like wet winters. Survival can be encouraged by planting them high in well draining soil, keeping mulch away from the crown and not cutting back until spring.

I've had both whirling butterflies and the pink one live for 3 years now. Both are in full sun and well-drained soil. One is even in very exposed super windy site and does fine in frigid winters. Drainage is key. I love the way the wind whirls the "butterflies", it can stand up to the wind.

I live in a borderline 6a/5b zone in NY state, and was also warned about problems overwintering gaura. But my whirling butterflies and siskyou pinks have done well so far, even after a few really harsh winters, exposed locations, and even a hearty dose of road salt. (Hope I didn't just jinx myself). Again, mine are planted in well-drained soil.

They are such lovely assets to the garden-- I would urge you to take a chance if you have a well-drained location for them.

Jessica

We had a very soggy late fall; that's what probably did mine in. I lost a lot of irises at the same time.

All my well-drained locations are on a slight slope; but they are all partial to full (but bright) shade. Gaura needs full sun, right?

Is there any variety that tolerates damp better? Do they all "whirl" on long stalks way above the basal foliage like the whirling butterflies do? That was what I liked so much about them. I saw some online that looked more upright with the flowers right on the sides of a central stalk. That I wouldn't want; but maybe the picture was taken early in the season.

I have grown quite a few gaura selections over the years, here on border 5b/6a, and most of them have been problematic for me too. The only one that ever survived more than 2 winters for me has been Whirling Butterflies. I do think that one is hardier than most. It grows best in a sand bed with little organic matter and no supplemental water, though also survived in regular garden beds with organic soil and water. When I went by my old garden recently, I saw that the plants were still there and growing -- so I bet that would be 4 or 5 years after planting anyway. None of the pink cultivars survived more than a season even in these ideal conditions. I also tried Corrie's Gold and it did not survive either.

I had Corrie's Gold, but it died out after a few seasons & I haven't replaced it because there's no room for it anymore.

I tried three times, and three times they died. Now, if I do decide to plant one, I treat it like an annual.

Two plants of Whirling Butterflies have survived in my garden since 2000. I am also now starting to get baby plants seeding around in the bed. I had 6 plants that bloomed last year. However, none of these plants were planted in the my usual garden beds, but in small very specialized garden areas.

I originally planted both plants in a highly amended clay soil bed on the west corner of my house within about 3 feet of the foundation. We removed 2/3rd of the clay down over a foot to make this bed, chopped up the remaining one third, added amendments of spaghnum peat moss, humus, and manure to the chopped clay and refilled the bed raising it six inches higher. Needless to say, this method of bed making has never been used again in our garden! Way too much work.

However, Whirling Butterflies survived quite well in this bed and I still have both plants. Despite their tap roots I moved them to my patio bed in 2002 when I changed color schemes in the corner bed. They handled the move with no problem and one plant promptly popped back up in the old bed (presumably from part of the original tap root) which I also removed to the new bed.

These three plants now reside in a bed with about 6-9 inches of loose duff on top of pretty much hardpan clay loosened by slamming a garden fork repeatedly into the clay, rocking it back and forth, and then topping it with Profile for drainage. The fluffy soil in this bed was made from bags of top soil, potting soil removed from many container pots, and bags of humus & manure. Every other year or so the bed receives refreshing from bagged compost, old potting soil, and leaf mold or mulch. The bed sits on the edge of slope with a concrete patio edge forming one boundary. Drainage is pretty good and most anything that likes rich soil and doesn't need it exceptionally dry does well here, including Whirling Butterflies.

However, in 2003 I tried several plants of Siskyou Pink in the same bed where WB resides happily without success. They never returned in 2004. In 2005 I then tried two more plants under a loose open shrub, actually pretty much on the rootball, and these have survived. It sort of looks like the shrub has pink flowers. I have found that rootballs of other large plantings actually work pretty well for many perennial plants that like it dry.

I put in siskyou pink last year and it came back this year. It is planted in partial sun and a bed that is pretty heavy clay, but which I continue to try to ammend over time. Maybe just the luck of the draw.

I have been able to keep them alive by placing them in a protected area against the brick area of the house.
It's the south end so lots of light and warm from the brick.
Good drainage is key to long life.
And do not transplant....very long tap root when well established.

Just did a search because I made a big score (or so I thought) at Wally World. The last of their perens - gauras, pink and white for a quarter a pot and quite healthy looking. Probably half gallon pots. They have been in the ground for two weeks and watered several times. So, I shouldn't cut them down until spring, if they survive and they can be re-transplanted in the spring. For now they are in a well drained area with some shelter for winter. They are still blooming. Interestingly I also stopped at Home Depot - they had gaura in larger pots, totally dead, for half price. So maybe I got a great deal for a quarter a pot? Piegirl

This is a surprising thread to me. Obviously S. California is very different, but those fleshy taproots act almost like corms for me - they can act as a drought-resintant storehouse or I can dig and abuse them and replant and always get strong plants from division. Additionally, they reseed so freely that gaura is one of the biggest "weeds" in other beds in my yard. 4 years after planting 3 gaura, I have 50 of them out front and routinely throw 20 or more away each spring.

I wonder if the culivars mentioned are less hardy, mine are just the original species. But maybe it is just a matter of root-rot in wetter, colder regions. I have to think that those big taproots could survive below-freezing temps.

They reseed like mad here, too. I certainly agree that they would not like clay soil....

The only healthy ones I have seen are grown in soil with excellent drainage.

Chiming in to agree w/ most everyone else. Drainage is key. However, I've seen no difference in hardiness in 'Whirling Butterflies' vs new pink cultivars. When grown in rich moist soil, this plant grows, but it's performance is rather anemic. Put it in a spot where it can get regular water from rains (well, when it used to rain) with good drainage, and this plant really comes into its own.

Also not much to add except to repeat that they should not be cut back in fall; this helps promote re-seeding as well as encouraging the mature plants to make it through the winter. I'm in a warmer zone than you, but still lose some of these each year; the best performers are on a little slope with a western exposure, so it stays fairly dry during our damp winters.