Description

🌼 Gaillardia, commonly known as blanket flower, is a vibrant and hardy flowering plant from the sunflower family (Asteraceae). Native to North and South America, it’s beloved for its daisy-like blooms in fiery shades of red, orange, and yellow.

🌿 Key Features

• Type: Annual or perennial herb, depending on the species
• Height: Up to 80 cm (about 31.5 inches)
• Flowers: Brightly colored with ray and disc florets; often bicolored
• Bloom Time: Summer to fall
• Common Varieties:
  • Gaillardia pulchella (Firewheel)
  • Gaillardia aristata (Common blanket flower)
  • Gaillardia × grandiflora (Hybrid of pulchella and aristata)

🌞 Growing Conditions

• Sunlight: Full sun is ideal
• Soil: Well-draining, poor to moderately fertile soil
• Watering: Drought-tolerant once established
• Zones: Hardy in USDA zones 3–10

🐝 Benefits

• Attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies
• Excellent for borders, rock gardens, and wildflower meadows
• Low maintenance and long blooming

🌱 Fun Fact

The name “blanket flower” may come from its ability to blanket the ground with colorful blooms or from its resemblance to Native American woven blankets.