Oenothera simulans aka Gaura angustifolia (Southern Beeblossum or Morning-honeysuckle)

Description

The name of this has recently been changed from Gaura angustifolia to Oenothera simulans. Hummingbirds, moths, butterflies and especially bees don’t care that the name has changed. They love the flowers, which are open at dusk…stay open all night and close in the afternoon. It is the larval host of at least two beautiful moths: the Whitelined Sphinx Moth and the Clouded Crimson Moth. Left alone, they can grow 4′-6′ tall, but they will bloom at 1′-2′ tall where “pruned” by deer or highway maintenance crews. (not recommending rough treatment, just giving an example of how versatile and durable they are). They thrive in full sun or part shade, average to very dry soil. They are adapted to salty air and occasional salt-water flooding. If you have a deer problem interplant with deer-resistant plants. Individual plants are relatively short-lived. Don’t mulch them and let them go to seed in the fall and you will blessed with a multitude of seedlings. We propagated our plants from native populations in Beaufort, Co., SC.