How to Divide Gaura

Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri) is a graceful, long-flowering perennial native to Louisiana, Texas and Mexico. Hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 and 6 through 9, depending on the cultivar, the plant grows 2 1/2 to 4 feet tall. Slender flower stalks bear 1-inch-wide white to pink flowers along the stem's length from spring to fall. There are numerous cultivars. Drought-tolerant, gaura has a long, parsnip-like taproot that makes it more difficult to successfully divide. It is usually grown from seeds or cuttings.

Shovel
Garden hose
Sharp knife
Nursery containers (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Choose a cool day in spring or fall. Dig around the outside of the gaura clump with a shovel, severing roots cleanly. When you've trenched around the plant, cut underneath the plant so you can lever it from the ground. Cut deeply so you get as much of the taproot as possible.
- 2
  Shake off most of the soil and wash the roots clean of any remaining soil using a garden hose.
- 3
  Locate the taproot. Examine the plant and decide how to divide it, usually in clumps that are about 1/4 the size of the mother plant. Using a clean sharp knife, cut through the taproot so that each division has a piece of the taproot.
- 4
  Replant the divisions in individual containers or back in the garden bed, digging a hole deep enough to contain the length of the taproot. Water the divisions thoroughly.

Indoor Germinating of Datura Seeds

Periwinkle Types

Growing Perennials