The magnificent candle (Gaura lindheimerie) is often offered in specialist stores as a hardy, perennial perennial. In fact, this grateful flowering perennial can only be overwintered outdoors to a limited extent if it is in a location with mild winters.
Is the magnificent candle winter hardy?
The magnificent candle is partially hardy and can overwinter outdoors in mild locations. At temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius, in a bucket or in colder regions, a protected winter quarters is necessary to avoid frost damage.
Overwintering the magnificent candle in the open field
In Central Europe, the magnificent candle, which comes from the border area between the USA and Mexico, is only hardy outdoors in extremely mild locations on the Upper Rhine or near the coast. In all regions where the outside temperatures in winter sometimes fall well below minus 10 degrees Celsius, sheltered overwintering is one of the necessary care measures when cultivating magnificent or prairie candles. In any case, magnificent candles grown in pots must be overwintered in a protected winter quarters, as their roots are even more exposed to the winter cold than specimens in perennial beds.
The suitable winter quarters for magnificent candles in the bucket
Magnificent candles grown in pots can remain outdoors until the first night frosts in autumn and winter. In severe frosts, however, they should be placed in the brightest possible cellar room or in a garage with daylight. The winter garden, which has the same temperature as the living areas, is not suitable as a winter quarters for the magnificent candle, as the perennial can sprout prematurely at temperatures above five degrees Celsius. The magnificent candle should be protected from drying out throughout the winter, but it tolerates waterlogging very poorly. Therefore, the drainage of excess irrigation water should be ensured through sand and gravel in the substrate and holes in the pot.
Protect the magnificent candle from the winter cold
If you actually want to overwinter the magnificent candle outdoors, then you should, if possible, choose a location in front of a south-facing house wall for cultivation. Make sure to avoid winter waterlogging outdoors, too, so that root rot does not occur until spring. In addition, the following care measures increase the likelihood that the magnificent candle will sprout again in the following year:
- cutting back the old clumps of plants to a height of around 10 centimeters in autumn
- covering the magnificent candles with a layer of mulch made from leaves and brushwood
- exposing the plants in good time for the warming rays of the spring sun
Tip
Even in mild locations and when growing in a container, it can make sense to cut back the magnificent candle in autumn. The plant forms overwintering buds and grows more densely branched in the following year.
