Gaillardia - Blanket Flower

Gaillardia (Blanket flower) is a genus of drought-tolerant annual and perennial plants from the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to North America. It was named after M. Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was a patron of botany. The common name refers to the inflorescence's resemblance to brightly patterned blankets made by native Americans.

These plants form wiry, branched stems with lanceolate to linear basal leaves. The plant grows to 1 1/2 to 2 ft (45 - 60 cm) tall, with bright daisy-like single color and bi-color blooms in shades from buff to red to brown. The flowers bloom in the summer. There are more than two dozen known species of Gaillardia.

They will grow under very harsh and dry conditions, forming mounds, 8 - 18 inches (20 - 45 cm) high, and will even bloom in sand along a seashore.


Some species
Gaillardia aristata is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower family known by the common names common blanketflower and common gaillardia. This wildflower is native to much of northern and western North America, where it grows in many habitats. It is also a widely cultivated garden flower. This is a perennial herb reaching maximum heights of anywhere between 20 and 70 centimeters. It has lance-shaped leaves near the base and several erect, naked stems holding the flowers. Each flower head has a center of brownish or reddish purple disc florets and a fringe of ray florets which are about one to three centimeters long and yellow to reddish with dark bases. The fruit is a stout, hairy achene which may be over a centimeter long including the long, spiky pappus.

Gaillardia pulchella (Firewheel, Indian blanket, Indian Blanketflower, or Sundance), is a short-lived annual flowering plant native to the central United States.
It is a hardy plant, not picky about soil, though sandy and well-drained are best. It has a high drought tolerance and does best with a dry, hot climate in full sun. Its vibrant colored flowers can be seen carpeting fields and the sides of highways for miles in the summer to late fall. In the garden, the flowers can be removed/deadheaded to promote further blooming.
This flower thrives in much of central United States, all the way from northern Mexico to southern Canada. It is the state wildflower of Oklahoma.

Gaillardia suavis

Gaillardia flava

Gaillardia amblyodon

Gaillardia Aristata - Common Gaillardia

Gaillardia pulchella

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