Tag Archives: Blanket Flower

Firewise Plant: Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)

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Plant Name:  Gaillardia varieties
Common name:  Blanket Flower
Plant Type:  Perennial
Plant Height:  8” – 36”
Plant Width:  12” – 24”
Bloom Time:  June – September
Flower Color:  Red, Gold, Burgundy
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-Drained
Water Needs: Low
Fire Resistant:  YES; Zone 1-8, Plant 30’+ from House.
Attributes: Drought Tolerant; Deer Resistant; Attracts Birds & Butterflies; Other Pollinators.
Uses:  Good Cut Flower; Container Plant; Borders; Butterfly Gardens;
Note: Deadhead for Continuous Bloom; Keep Some Seed Heads for Birds; Cutting Back Clumps in Late Summer Increases Chance of Winter Survival; Divide Clumps Every 2 – 3 Years in Spring or Early Fall for Plant Vigor; Susceptible to Powdery Mildew, Leafspot, & Leafhoppers.
Native to: Western North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 10

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/Master Gardener

Photo credit: Lazaregagnidze, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Today in the Garden; Gaillardia x grandiflora

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Here’s a new favorite for a sunny spot:  Long-blooming, pollinator friendly and brightly colored, Gaillardia x grandiflora has been blooming in my West-facing garden since June, and is still putting out new buds.  It’s a hybrid on a Western native, Gaillardia aristata.  The common name is Blanket Flower.  The colors often remind me of the state flag of Arizona:  yellow, scarlet, bronze. The flowers are 2-3 “ across, and the seed heads are attractive, too. Gaillardia is easy to grow and to maintain.  I just prune off the dried seed heads when they look tatty.  Another option, though, is to leave at least some in place at the end of the season, because these plants reseed, so you can have more for free next Spring.  There are several cultivars available.  I have the original, which is about 24” x 24”.  I also have the dwarf form, called ‘Goblin’, which is about  1 foot high and wide.  Needs full sun, moderate water and  fast drainage.

~Sherri Morgan, AGC Member