Lindheimer's Βeeblossom (Oenothera lindheimeri - Gaura lindheimeri)
We knew it as Gaura lindheimeri, the Lindheimer’s Βeeblossom and it were raised Oinothera lindheimeri.
So, with the rhythms that name plants change in recent years, we are thinking here in ‘Kalliergeia’ to suggest to the International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) the replacement of their names in numbers.
So any progress in phylogenetic research will not necessarily entail a name change – whatever problems it may create.
For example, the former Lindheimer’s Βeeblossom or Gaura lindheimeri and now Oenothera lindheimeri, could bring the memorable and practical number 7534-2742-9582-1748.
… Did you hear laughter from the depth of the room or did it look like that?
The Gaura is distinguished for its long lasting and abundant flowering.
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Lindheimer's Βeeblossom Origin
Oenothera lindheimeri (syn. Gaura lindheimeri)
Lindheimer's Βeeblossom (Oenothera lindheimeri) - Brief Description
Family: Onagraceae
Genus: Oenothera
Scientific Name: Oenothera lindheimeri (Engelm. & A.Gray) W.L.Wagner & Hoch
Synonyms: Gaura lindheimeri Engelm. & A.Gray
Common Names: Gaura, White Gaura, Pink Gaura, Lindheimer’s Clockweed, Indian Feather, Lindheimer’s Beeblossom
General Characteristics
Leaf Persistence
Evergreen / Semi Evergreen
Form
Perennial Herbaceous Plant
Texture
Fine
Growth Rate
Slow
Flowering Period (Northern Hemisphere)
May – October
Fruiting Period
Summer – Fall
Height
0.5 to 1.5 m (2-5 ft)
Diameter
0.5 to 1.5 m (2-5 ft)
Shapes and Colors
Leaves Shape
Lanceolate
Foliage Colour
Green, Purple, Red
Autumn Foliage Colour
Green
Flowers Shape
Star-Shaped
Flowers Colour
White, Pink
Fruit
Capsule
Plantation
Soil Type: Excellent drainage, sandy, loamy
Soil pH: 5.5-7.8
Watering: Moderate
Exposure: Sun, Half-Shade
Hardiness: −20 °C (USDA Hardiness Zone 6b)
Uses
Specimen, borders, mass planting, rock garden, xeriscape, pots and containers
Oenothera lindheimeri (syn. Gaura lindheimeri)
Lindheimer's Βeeblossom (Oenothera lindheimeri) - Etymology
Etymology of the Genus Name
The old name of the genus Gaura comes from the Ancient Greek word ‘γαῦρος’, which means ‘I pride myself, I am proud, superb, showy, majestic‘ and its Neo-Latin version refers to the many impressive flowers of the plant.
The new name of the Oenothera genus comes from two Ancient Greek words, ‘οἶνος’ and ‘θήρα’ meaning ‘wine’ and ‘hunting’ respectively. Now what is the relationship between the plant the wine and the hunt?
Ancient Greeks, with the compound word ‘οινοθήρα‘ (Oenothera), called a plant that used it as a hypnotic, stirring it with wine. This hypnotical word was used by the great Swedish systematic Carl von Linne (Carolus Linnaeus) to name the corresponding genus of plants.
Etymology of the Species Name
The species name ‘lindheimeri‘, although it has European air, it is debt to the North American continent: it was given in honor of the German origin botanist called Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer (1801-1879), who is often called the Father of Texas Botany and who collected from Texas on behalf of Harvard University, a multitude of plant species – including, what else? – Gaura.
Oenothera lindheimeri (syn. Gaura lindheimeri)
Lindheimer's Βeeblossom (Oenothera lindheimeri) - Origin & Life Span
Origin
Lindheimer’s Βeeblossom is a native plant of the North American continent. Its populations are mainly located in the United States – Louisiana and Texas – as well as in the neighboring areas of North Mexico.
Its habitats are mainly black-soil prairies, pine forests and lakes banks.
Life Span
The life span of Gaura is between 3 and 10 years old. To reach and sometimes exceed the decade, it must – among other favorable factors – be planted in purely sunny places.
Oenothera lindheimeri (syn. Gaura lindheimeri)
Lindheimer's Βeeblossom (Oenothera lindheimeri) - Morphological Elements
Lindheimer’s Βeeblossom is a semi-woody perennial herbaceous plant, of erect habit. Many stems grow from the woody central taproot, which in the flowering period are slightly arching.
Its shape is spherical-flattened or spherical, has dense foliage and is characterized as a fine texture. It is evergreen, but in very low temperatures it loses part of – or even the whole – foliage.
Oenothera lindheimeri (syn. Gaura lindheimeri)
Lindheimer's Βeeblossom (Oenothera lindheimeri) - Botanical Description
Root
The Lindheimer’s Βeeblossom has a woody central taproot-rhizome that goes deep, forming a powerful root system that helps it successfully with medium-term drought periods.
Stems & Twigs
The clumping, dense stems of the plant are numerous, rather thin, and change color depending on their age. When they are young the twigs have a brownish red color, which gradually turns green and in maturing take a color greenish brown.
Leaves
The leaves are simple, alternately arrangement on the shoots, entire or faintly and irregularly toothed. Their colour is initially red and then green and sometimes purple.
They have a lanceolate shape, their length is between 8.5 and 9.5 cm (3.3-3.7 in) while their width is between 1.4 and 1.6 cm (0.5-0.62 in).
They are slightly hairy and sometimes seem to have dark spots, which are not a disease symptom but thei normal appearance.
Flowers
The flowers of Lindheimer’s Βeeblossom are carried on a long (0,6-0,8 m) floral stem, in simple or paniculate slender spikes, are numerous, hermaphrodite, tetrameric, cruciform, white or pink.
They consists of four petals and eight long stamens with yellow anthers, and generally open at sunrise.
Their dimentions are 1.3 to 1.5 cm (0.5-0.6 in) in length and 2.8 to 3 cm (1.1-1.2 in) in diameter.
Pollination
The pollination takes place by insects – and of course among them are butterflies to the delight of their fans.
Fruit & Seeds
The fruit is a fusiform capsule that thin at the ends, it is subglabrous to sparsely pilose, and as for dimentions it is 0.6 to 1 cm in length and 0.2 to 0.35 cm in diameter.
It includes 1 to 4 seeds of yellowish light brown color, and seeds dimensions range from 0.2 to 0.23 cm in length and 0.1 to 0.15 cm in diameter.
Oenothera lindheimeri (syn. Gaura lindheimeri)
Lindheimer's Βeeblossom (Oenothera lindheimeri) - Climate and Soil
Temperature
The Gaura lindheimeri is a fairly hardy plant and can withstand low temperatures without damage with minimum values ranging between -17 and -20 °C.
As for the maximums, it does not face problems, even when they reach 40+ °C, as the behavior of its plants in the extremely hot Greek summers has proved.
Soil and pH
The plant grows in a variety of soil types and soils except heavy clays, provided they have excellent drainage. However, it thrives in light sandy or medium texture, deep and medium fertility soils.
In terms of soil pH, the range of values within which it can be grown is between 5.5 and 7.8, with the optimum being between 5.5 and 6.2 – ie slightly acidic to acidic soils or soil mixtures.
Exposure
The Gaura lindheimeri needs sunny places for its good growth and rich flowering, but it can also be placed in semi-shady places – especially in warmer climates – without lagging behind in performance.
Oenothera lindheimeri (syn. Gaura lindheimeri)
Lindheimer's Βeeblossom (Oenothera lindheimeri) - Pests & Diseases
In general, Lindheimer’s Βeeblossoms are not among the plants that will trouble their fans, in the fight against any pests and diseases. However, they can be affected both by pests and diseases.
Of the former, Aphids, White Flies and various Scales can sometimes infect plants, however they are treated with timely use of appropriate insecticides.
Diseases such as Powdery Mildew and Leaf Spot, which are mainly caused by various fungi, can also infect plants, but these are also treated with timely use of appropriate fungicides.
Oenothera lindheimeri (syn. Gaura lindheimeri)
Lindheimer's Βeeblossom (Oenothera lindheimeri) - Toxicity & Allergenicity
Toxicity
The Gaura lindheimeri plants are not toxic to humans and pets.
Allergenicity
The plants are entomophilous and do not cause allergic reactions.
Oenothera lindheimeri (syn. Gaura lindheimeri)
Lindheimer's Βeeblossom (Oenothera lindheimeri) - Varieties
Of the most popular and beloved flower plants, Lindheimer’s Βeeblossom now numbers several dozen varieties, including white, pink and red flowers, as well as varieties of two-color leaves.
Among the most remarkable are:
- Oenothera lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’ – (Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’)
- Oenothera lindheimeri ‘Summer Breeze’ – (Gaura lindheimeri ‘Summer Breeze’)
- Oenothera lindheimeri ‘Crimson Butterflies’ – (Gaura lindheimeri ‘Crimson butterflies’)
- Oenothera lindheimeri ‘Belleza® Compact Light Pink’ – (Gaura lindheimeri ‘Belleza® Compact Light Pink’)
- Oenothera lindheimeri ‘Blushing Butterflies™’ – (Gaura lindheimeri ‘Blushing Butterflies™’)
- Oenothera lindheimeri ‘Corrie’s Gold™’ – (Gaura lindheimeri ‘Corrie’s Gold’)
- Oenothera lindheimeri ‘So White’ – (Gaura lindheimeri ‘So White’)
Oenothera lindheimeri (syn. Gaura lindheimeri)
- WEED POSTS
Lindheimer's Βeeblossom (Oenothera lindheimeri) - Use in Garden and Landscape
Lindheimer’s Βeeblossom is one of the most tolerant and long-lasting flowering ornamental plants.
The limit in its use is the soil-climatic requirements but also the imagination of the landscape architect, garden designer or the amateur gardener.
Among others, Lindheimer’s Βeeblossom can be planted:
- One among other flowering plants, always in the penultimate or last row, for the formation of mixed border
- In odd-number groups, consisting of 3, 5 or 7 plants, or among other flowering plants or alone for the formation of flowering islets.
- In rock gardens as well as general in gardens with minimal water consumption – and in xeriscape ones
- Despite its drought resistance, in sandy pond or natural lake banks
- And of course in pots and containers, but large enough and in full-sun exposure
References
The References to the article, which deserves the railway title Lindheimer’s Βeeblossom (Oenothera lindheimeri – Gaura lindheimeri), are presented by the compatriot of the plant and Giant of the blues Louisiana Red with the song Alabama Train.
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Bibliography
- Christenhusz, M. J., Fay, M. F., & Chase, M. W. (2017). Plants of the world: An illustrated encyclopedia of vascular plant families.University of Chicago Press.
- Loughmiller, C., Loughmiller, L., & In Marcus, J. (2018). Texas wildflowers: A field guide.University of Texas Press.
- Xu, Z., & Deng, M. (2017). Identification and control of common weeds: Volume 2.Springer Netherlands.
External Links
Oenothera lindheimeri: USDA Plants Database
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