(Gaillardia aristata ‘Blanket Flower’)

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Blanket Flower is a clump forming native perennial flower that is commonly found growing in the drier areas of grasslands, meadows, prairies, and mountain foothills in the northwest United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height up to 2' tall and features clasping, lance shaped grayish green leaves, and bold 3" reddish-orange daisy-like flowers that are golden yellow on the tips. This cheerful beauty attracts bees and butterflies, is great as a cut flower, is drought tolerant, deer resistant, and self sows!  

  • General Information
  • Germination
  • Seedlings
  • Harvesting
  • Seed Saving
  • Companion Planting
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Family: Asteraceae 

Genus: Gaillardia

Species: aristata

Variety: Blanket Flower

Grown as: Perennial

Native to: Alberta, British Columbia, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Manitoba, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Northwest Territorie, Oregon, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Yukon.

Introduced into: Assam, Azores, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil South, Czechoslovakia, France, Hungary, India, Italy, Krym, Mozambique, Namibia, New Caledonia, New York, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Spain, Tadzhikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.

Maturity (Blooms): May to September

Light: Full Sun

Water: Low. Water seedlings until they become established. Mature plants tolerate some drought, though they flourish with occasional watering. 

Soil Moisture: Dry to medium. Lightly moist

Suitability: Drought tolerant

Beneficial Insects?: Yes. Attracts Pollinators, Attracts Butterflies, and is Deer Resistant.

Containers?" Yes. Perfectly suited for containers.

Maintenance: Low

Height: 24”
 
Spacing: 14-16”

Sow Depth: 1/4"
 
USDA Zone: 3-8

Produces: clasping, lance shaped grayish green leaves, and bold 3" reddish-orange daisy-like flowers that are golden yellow on the tips. 

Garden Uses: Perennial border fronts, rock gardens, cottage gardens and cutting gardens. Also effective in containers.
Direct sow in late spring, planting 1/4" below the surface of the soil and compacting it slightly. Keep the soil evenly moist and at a temperature of 70-75 degrees F until germination, which widely varies from 20-70 days. Since these plants do not transplant well, they should be planted in peat pots if started indoors.
Water the seedlings until they become established. Mature plants tolerate drought well, though watering in especially dry periods will improve the blooming. Excess moisture may result in root rot and other disease. Deadheading or cutting back the plant will also increase the blooms. This is a rather short-lived perennial that does not readily self-sow. This plant attracts butterflies and resists deer.
For fresh flowers, cut long stems of flowers that have just opened and place them in water immediately; strip the leaves that will fall below the water.
After the petals of the flowers drop off, the center will begin to turn from green to brown. Cut the seed heads off when they have ripened but before they begin to shatter. Spread them out to dry in a protected location for 2-3 weeks. Crush the seed heads to separate the seed from the stems. Store the cleaned seed in a cool, dry place.

Companion Planting

Gaillardias mix well with any sun-loving plants. For a warm color border try mixing with Coreopsis, or Sunflowers. If you want a more varied color scheme try pairing with Echinacea, or blue toned flowers like hardy Plumbago. Contrast with fine flowers or foliage such as those produced by Gypsophila, Yarrow or ornamental grasses.

Problems

Root rot may occur in poorly drained soils, particularly during periods of protracted heavy summer rains. Species plants are generally susceptible to powdery mildew, aster yellows and fungal leaf spot diseases.

Suggested Varieties

(Gypsophila elegans ‘Annual’)

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Annual Baby's Breath is an introduced annual flower that is commonly found growing in sandy soils of meadow steppes and outskirts of woodlands of Eurasia. Growing to the height of 2-3' tall, this plant features dense branches that bare 2” long lance shaped foliage and small 1/2” white flower blooms. This plant can be grown in containers, it attracts bees and butterflies, is deer resistant, is highly used in floral arrangements, and best of all, it self sows! 
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(Gypsophila elegans ‘Deep Carmine’)

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Deep Carmine Baby's Breath is an introduced annual flower that is commonly found growing in sandy soils of meadow steppes and outskirts of woodlands of Eurasia. Growing to the height of 2-3' tall, this plant features dense branches that bare 2” long lance shaped foliage and small 1/2” pink flower blooms. This plant can be grown in containers, it attracts bees and butterflies, is deer resistant, is highly used in floral arrangements, and best of all, it self sows! 
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(Echinacea purpurea ‘Purple’)

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(Helianthus annuus ‘Autumn Beauty’)

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Autumn Beauty Sunflower is a native annual flower that can be commonly found growing in dry areas of meadows, plains, and prairies throughout every region of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 5-6' and features hairy stems, hairy heart-shaped green leaves, and 4-6” flowers that bloom in autumn colors such as yellow, orange, red, bronze, or mahogany. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, birds, and butterflies, is resistant to rabbits, is a great trap crop for aphids, is both edible and medicinal, tolerates drought, makes dye, and is great as a cut flower! 
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(Helianthus annuus ‘Mammoth’)

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(Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Mexican’)

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Mexican Sunflower is an annual flower that is native to Mexico but can be commonly found growing throughout Louisiana and Florida. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 4-6' and features 3-12” lobed dark green leaves, and 3” orange-red flowers that have orange-yellow disks. This plant attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, is resistant to deer, tolerates drought, and is great as a cut flower! 
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(Helianthus annuus ‘Velvet Queen’)

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Velvet Queen Sunflower is a native annual plant that can be commonly found growing in dry areas of meadows, plains, and prairies throughout every region of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 3-4' and features hairy stems, hairy heart-shaped dark green leaves, and 4-6” flower in shades of bronze, red, and mahogany with dark centers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, birds, and butterflies, is resistant to rabbits, is a great trap crop for aphids, is both edible and medicinal, tolerates drought, and makes dye! 
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(Achillea millefolium 'Rubra')

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(Achillea millefolium 'White')

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White Yarrow is a native mat-forming perennial that can be commonly found growing along roadways and in fields and lawns throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 12-18” and features erect stems, medium green fern-like foliage, and clusters of white flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, hoverflies, ladybugs, and predatory wasps, is rabbit safe, repels beetles, and flies, the leaves are burned to repel mosquitoes, is used as a compost activator, tolerates drought, is used to make cosmetic cleansers, dye, essential oil, and liquid plant food, self sows, is both edible and medicinal, and is great as a cut flower!
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