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Blanket Flower

Gaillardia

The Desert Fire: Unstoppable Color with Gaillardia


The Snapshot

  • Common Name: Blanket Flower, Firewheel

  • Scientific Name: Gaillardia × grandiflora (Most common garden hybrid)

  • Origin: North and South American Native

  • Hardiness: Zones 3 – 10

  • The "Vibe": Hot, bold, and rugged; the "no-maintenance" firecracker of the prairie.

Why We Love It

Gaillardia is the ultimate "low-demand, high-reward" plant. It gets its common name from the way its vibrant, pinwheel-shaped flowers resemble the intricate patterns of traditional Native American blankets. Known for its exceptional heat and drought tolerance, it thrives in "bad" soil where other perennials wilt. The blooms are typically bi-color or tri-color, featuring rings of scarlet red, burnt orange, and bright golden yellow that last from early summer right until the first hard frost.


Ecosystem & Wildlife Impact

  • The "Generalist" Buffet: Its flat, open flower heads are perfect landing pads for a vast array of pollinators, from tiny sweat bees to large Fritillary butterflies.

  • Seed Source for Birds: If you don't deadhead in late fall, the globe-shaped seed heads provide a valuable winter snack for Goldfinches.

  • Host Plant: It serves as a larval host for several species of moths, including the beautiful Painted Schinia.

Designer Tips: Where to Plant

  • The "Hellstrip" Hero: Because it loves reflected heat, Gaillardia is the perfect choice for that narrow strip between the sidewalk and the street.

  • The "Hot" Border: Pair it with the cool blues of Russian Sage (Salvia) or Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium). The contrast between the fiery red-yellows and the cool purples is a high-energy design classic.

  • Coastal Gardens: It is remarkably salt-tolerant, making it a go-to for seaside landscapes where salt spray kills more delicate plants.

Designer Pro-Tip: Blanket Flowers are often "short-lived" perennials because they bloom so hard they literally wear themselves out. To keep your patch going for years, don't mulch too heavily. They love to self-seed in open, sandy, or gravelly spots, ensuring a fresh generation of "firewheels" every spring.


Stories from the Garden

"I have a rocky slope in my backyard that gets baked by the sun all day. I planted some 'Arizona Sun' Gaillardia three years ago and I haven't watered them once. They are a solid carpet of red and yellow from June to October. It’s the toughest plant I own!"

— Leo M., Zone 7 Gardener


A Growing Story: The Seed Head Surprise

One of our customers told us she was about to pull her "dead" Gaillardia in November because they looked like "spiky little balls." We told her to leave them for the birds. A week later, she sent us a photo of three Goldfinches perched on the stems, picking out the seeds. Now she calls them her "winter bird feeders."

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