Steffi Dark Rose is a gaura grown for its airy wands of small flowers, which sway and flutter above a loose, open clump from late spring until frost. The colour is in the name, so expect dark rose blooms rather than white ones, held on slender stems that move with the slightest breeze.

In Birmingham, full sun and well-drained soil are non-negotiable, since heavy wet clay is what rots this plant over winter, not the summer heat. Once established it tolerates dry spells well. If it starts to sprawl by midsummer, cut it back hard to keep the clump tidy through fall.