Gaillardia

( gay - LARD - ee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

These cheerful bloomers, also known as Blanket Flower, are native to the central and western United States. These perennials and annuals thrive in heat, requiring full sun and moderate water. They are easy to grow from seed, and will often reseed freely. These are great as cut flowers and for borders. 

Gaillardia Species and Varietals

The genus Gaillardia is a member of the plant family Asteraceae, and includes between 25 and 30 species. The genus is named for 18th-century French botanist and magistrate Maitre Gaillard de Charentonneau. Gaillardia grows best in zones 1-24, H1 and H2. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Gaillardia aristata (Common Blanketflower, Common Gaillardia)
This species grows to 2-2.5 feet tall and and 2 feet wide. Flower heads are yellow to red. These plants are considered to be perennial wildflowers, and grow in many natural habitats such as plains, prairies and meadows. 

Gaillardia coahuilensis (Bandanna Daisy)
​This species is native to northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States. Plants reach up to 8 inches tall and flowers bloom singly at the tips of stems. Rays are reddish orange with yellow fringed tips. 
Gaillardia grandiflora
This species gets 2-4 feet tall and 1.5 feet wide, and has gray-green foliage. Double blooms or single flowers come in shades of red and yellow with orange or maroon banding. They bloom from summer through to the first frost of the year. This species will attract butterflies to your garden. Selections are outlined below.
'Arizona Sun'
This variety gets to 10 inches tall and has orange red flowers with yellow tips. 
'Goblin'
Grows to 1 foot tall with deep red, yellow-bordered flowers. 
'Goblin Yellow'
Yellow blooms on a 1 foot tall plant.
'Mesa Yellow'
Compact, uniform growth to 1.5 feet tall, with solid yellow flowers that bloom early in the season. 
'Oranges and Lemons'
Flowers have orange centers and yellow-tipped orange petals.
'Fanfare'
Flowers have a burgundy center and trumpet-shaped orange petals with yellow tips.
'Dazzler'
2 feet tall with bright red flowers with yellow tips.
'Frenzy'
Petals are tube-shaped and have yellow tips.
'Mandarin'
Centers are mahogany with orange petals that are tipped in yellow. 
'Tizzy'
2 feet tall with trumpet-shaped petals that are pink-orange
'Amber Wheels'
Flower centers are red, and have golden-yellow frills. 2.5 feet tall. 
'Burgunder'
Deep red flowers. 

Gaillardia pinnatifida (Red Dome Blanketflower, Hopi Blanketflower)
These flowers are native to Mexico and the southwestern United States, and reaches up to 22 inches tall when in bloom. Flowers are yellow with brown-orange centers, and leaves are green to green-grey.

Gaillardia pulchella (Firewhell, Indian Blanket, Indian Blanketflower, Sundance)
This annual gets to 2 feet tall and half as wide, with soft leaves and long stems that carry flowers in red, yellow, and gold. These are easy to grow and will attract birds to your garden. Varieties include 'Red Plume' (double-flowered, 12-14 inches tall), and 'Yellow Plume' (12-14 inches tall, with double flowers).

Gaillardia suavis (Pincushion Daisy, Perfumeballs)
These flowers are native to northern Mexico and the southern Great Plains region of the United States. These plants grow well in limestone and sandy soils, and prefer to grow in pairies, desert scrub landscapes, and open juniper woodlands.

Caring for Gaillardia

Propagation

Problems and Pests

Gallery

Camellias are great candidates to be grown as container plants on your patio.
A field of thea sinensis
Camellia hiemalis 'Shishi Gashira'

Videos

Learn how to care for blanket flowers in your garden.
All about Gaillardias.
All about Blanket Flowers.
Why you should be growing these easy-care flowers.

Resources

Wikipedia: Gaillardia
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Pages 330 - 331, Gaillardia
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