Photo by Pam Rendall-Bass
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that if left on its own it will ramble. What I like most about gaura is the amount of cover it gives for small mammals and birds to forage underneath, as well as its place in the plant community on the farm. We tend to get mostly colorful songbirds nesting on the property, and the tall gaura gives them foraging cover and protection from overhead predators, like the local Cooper’s hawks. Tall gaura is also an “airy” plant, which allows dappled sunlight to reach the ground. The plant is very leggy with a strong central stem and very few lower leaves. It will drop lower leaves throughout the growing season, until it is basically flowering tops waving in the breeze by fall. This allows other plants to grow and fill in the spaces close to the ground. Perennials will eventually push the shallow-rooted gaura out of the way as they become established, so it has enabled desirable native forbs to self-seed, germinate, and become established in the pastures. This eventually gave me the idea of using small, circular clearings in the gaura thickets as protected areas to help reestablish native grasses and forbs in the pastures. Opening up the space allows desirable perennials to have the sun they need while protecting them from high winds and competing neighbors. Unwanted gaura is easily mowed, pulled up, or cut at the base with loppers. It has worked pretty well in the areas where this method was used. |
Another wonderful thing about tall gaura is its generous gift to the native cavity-dwelling wasps and bees, who count on having sturdy stems to raise their brood and overwinter. Birds also use the stems to perch and feed on the winter seeds left behind. If the stems are in an unwanted area, they are easily moved to another part of the yard, so the wildlife still has access to the substrate to help them survive the winters. At first it was tempting to remove all the stems left behind, but I have found having a little patience pays off. Almost all of the stems will drop to the ground and go back into the soil by Spring. If cleaning up is necessary, try to wait until the warmer months |
Photo: Plant life under the tall gaura. Arrowleaf clover, Trifolium vesiculosum, has done especially well this year. The strong woody stems are all tall gaura. |
of Spring before removing the plant material from the property. This gives the pollinators resting inside a chance to emerge and move on to greener pastures.
Photo: Early May on the farm (2023) the arrowleaf clover, Trifolium vesiculosum is filling in space. There are dried stalks of last year’s tall gaura, Oenothera filiformis, still peeking through the vegetation. Most of the stalks have fallen over and are returning to the soil. In another month gaura will dwarf the clover! While you may not want to let this plant take over your place, Oenothera filiformis is a great native for naturalizing an area. Just be aware that it will crowd out shallow rooted grasses, which was a plus for me, as I was trying to get rid of coastal Bermuda and stickers. It has been quite effective. It is now difficult to find a sticker on Sticker Hill! Everything cycles through this landscape, so if I don’t like the view, I know it will change in just a few weeks. Meanwhile, I will share this space with the native plants and critters and realize that we all must learn to share the space that we live on. Rewilding is teaching me to relax and enjoy the cycles in nature. I hope to continue sharing some of these experiences with you as the seasons change here on Sticker Hill. Read The Next Article About Karen's Project, See All Rewilding Articles Karen Glenn Karen Glenn is a chemistry instructor at Austin College, in Sherman, Texas. North Texas has been home base, since her father retired from the military and relocated to Lake Texoma in the early 1970’s. She grew up riding horses and exploring creeks and trails around Texoma, getting to know the native flora and fauna. Karen’s passion for wildlife and native plants led her to eventually pursue a formal education in the sciences, beginning with a BS in wildlife conservation at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. A chemistry major was added along the way, and she went on to complete a MS in organic chemistry at Oklahoma State University in 2000. After completing her studies, she relocated back to Grayson County and began working as a researcher at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station in Willis, Oklahoma. Over the years Karen has participated in various research programs, instructed students in chemistry courses at several local colleges and universities, volunteered at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, and, in 2017, joined the Texas Master Naturalist program. She and her son live on a small acreage in Gordonville, where they are working to restore the native habitat, which is rapidly disappearing due to development in the area. Her property has become her lab, and she is looking forward to retiring in a couple of years, so she can enjoy nature full time, once again. |
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