Scarlet gaura, Butterfly weed, Yerba de la Virgen
| Botanical Name | Gaura coccinea |
| Common Name | Scarlet gaura, Butterfly weed, Yerba de la Virgen |
| Family | Onagraceae - Evening primrose |
| Description | This native perennial is a grayish plant with leafy branched stems that grows in clumps. Leaves are 1/2"-2 1/2" long and rather lance-shaped. |
| Mature Size | 4"-12" |
| Bloom | June-August. The delicate pink flowers are about 1/2" wide. At night they are white. They turn scarlet when dried. They remain open less than a day. Each flower has 4 petals and 8 stamens. They grow in slender spikelike clusters. |
| Interesting Facts | The flower's color can vary greatly. |
| Traditional and Medicinal Uses | For muscular rheumatism, the plants were ground or mashed (dry or green) and rubbed on the limbs. The Navajo used a cold infusion of this plant to settle children's upset stomachs. The Lakota Indians are recorded to have chewed this plant and rubbed it on their hands to aid in catching horses. |
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Photo for SFBG by Janice Tucker
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