Ann, your 3 images look like a different variety. 'Passionate Rainbow' has variegated bronzy leaves, bronze-burgundy stems and deep pink blooms. See the previous images.

Mine does have the vareigated bronzy leaves. I will check it out further though Sue. Also the blooms don't show as deep in coloration b/c the sun is so strong & th ephoto doesn't show them as deep as they are. But ..... as I said I will check again.

First off, here is the plant tag for it. And while I know plant tags can be wrong; these were the only Gaura's they had so it's not likely that the tag got switched with another variety. But going on the assumption that the tag is still wrong; I checked with the following sites & none mention any color on the stems excepting the last one by Garden Harvest Supply which says the stems are bold red. The stems on yours are certainly deep & dark. I looked at the photo Joy posted & the stems on hers appear to be green in the lower portion & red in the upper portion. Mine are also that way --- I have included a photo of the red stems on the upper portion of mine. A little out of focus as I was trying to get too close but you get the gist. Also the Garden Harvest Supply says the blooms range in color from medium pink to bright magenta. The other sources just say pink blooms. As I stated my blooms are darker, falling into the medium pink range but the combination of my camera & the strong light here show them much lighter than they indeed are. I do not have a professional camera like you do & pinks & reds are always "off". As to the leaves; I have posted photos that are closer up which clearly show the leaf variegation. I bought these gaura & there were 3 plants in the pot -- I put 1 in a ceramic glazed pot with potting soil, 1 in the planting bed in an area with sand & the final 1 in the planting bed in an area with clay. These plants are young yet & I'm sure not displaying all the particular characteristics that they will when they mature. Plus the growing conditions are a factor. That is why we have multiple photos of plants in the db as what 1 plant looks & performs like in 1 part of the country can be quite different than what is expereienced in another portion of the country. It will be interesting to see the difference in the 3 I have being that each is growing in different soil & conditions. I couldn't resist adding a photo of the pipevine swallowtail who was having a blast on the 1 I planted in the sand in the garden bed last night. Butterflies are hard to get to hold still and it has been my experience that pipevine swallowtails are particularly so!

http://www.missouribotanicalga...


http://www.costafarms.com/publ...

http://www.perennials.com/plan...

http://www.perennialresource.c...

http://www.gardenharvestsupply...

Ahh, now those shots show the leaf and stem coloring better!! Your camera is fine, it's just tricky to get the focus point to zero in on those narrow stems, it often focuses right behind the subject. Believe me, I have plenty of those shots with my camera, I just take many and dump most!
Thanks Ann for clarifying, you will love this plant!

Perhaps i should load those leaf photos in the db as well. I think I will. It's good to know even you get shots like mine of the stem. Thanks for the explanation as to *why* that happens!
I think I will love this plant. From all I can find out about it; it will take what my conditions dish out & keep performing like a champ! That is paramount to me. I only planted the 2 in the planting bed last night but this morning they made such a bright spot!!!! And I love the way the blooms dance about in the breeze.
I have much work to do here having only moved in less than 3 months ago but you know about that don't you?!

Sue, is this evergreen for you?

That's my favorite feature about these plants, that the blooms sway in the breeze!
I cut it down in winter (lost the one pictured below in the garden shot, probably a gopher fatality) and my second one is sending out bloom stems now. I have so many plants in those beds so I didn't notice but it's listed as Semi-deciduous.


I have a whole new area to plant now that my daughter and her family with their two large dogs finally moved out so I will be adding one or two more of these. Best wishes in your new garden!

Thanks Sue! And I know you're soooooooooo happy at not having the orange fencing anymore & can now garden to your hearts content!

oh yeah!!