Scientific Name
Gaillardia pulchella Foug.
Common Name(s)
Fire Wheel, Indian Blanket, Indian Blanket Flower, Blanket Flower, Rose Ring Blanket Flower, Rose Ring Gaillardia, Sundance, Annual Gaillardia
Synonym(s)
Gaillardia drummondii, Gaillardia neomexicana, Gaillardia picta, Calonnea pulcherrima, Gaillardia bicolor, Gaillardia lobata, Gaillardia scabrosa, Gaillardia villosa, Galordia alternifolia
Scientific Classification
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Gaillardia
Flower
Color: Red, orange and yellow
Bloom Time: Summer to early fall
Description
Gaillardia pulchella is a cheery, brightly colored annual, with branching, hairy, upright, up to 2 feet (60 cm) tall stem. Leaves are alternate, mostly basal, up to 3.2 inches (8 cm) long, with edges smooth to coarsely toothed or lobed.
The pinwheel, daisy-like inflorescences are up to 2.4 inches (6 cm) in diameter, vividly colored with red, orange, and yellow. The central disc florets of the flower head tend to be more red-violet, with the outer ray florets being yellow. The plant blooms practically year-round in some areas but more typically in summer to early fall. The seeds are achene.
How to Grow and Care
Sow seeds into well-draining soil and cover them slightly. Although Blanket Flowers are drought tolerant once established, they should be kept moist until germination occurs. Once established, occasional watering should become a part of Blanket Flowers' care. This assists in a longer display of colorful blooms.
Care of Gaillardias includes planting in a full-sun location to keep this fast-growing specimen happy. A native plant to the central United States and Mexico, Blanket Flower is a heat-loving flower that attracts butterflies. Growing Blanket Flowers is drought tolerant, and they do not like wet feet from soggy soil.
Growing Blanket Flowers can naturalize in a meadow or field, adding hues of color. The easy care of Blanket Flowers makes them an ideal specimen for many landscape uses.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Blanket Flowers.
Origin
Gaillardia pulchella is native to the Central United States.
Links
- Back to genus Gaillardia
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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