Common blanketflower

Sun

Full sun; flowering and stem strength decline in shade.

Water

Water regularly during establishment, then mainly during prolonged dry spells. Avoid persistently damp soil, especially in winter.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gravelly or loamy soil, preferably of low to moderate fertility. Poor drainage is a greater problem than poor soil.

Height

1-3 ft (0.3-0.9 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Late spring or early summer into early autumn, especially with deadheading. Flowers are yellow, often with red or reddish-orange bases around a reddish-brown central disc.

Foliage

Hairy grey-green to green leaves, mostly lance-shaped, with smooth, toothed or shallowly lobed edges.

Growth

Moderate to fast; seed-grown plants may flower in their first year if started early.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.4 ft (0.42 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.8 ft (0.55 m)

4. After 3 years

   2 ft (0.6 m)

   full size

About 2 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US and Canada

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant in full sun with the crown at soil level, not buried.
• Water new plants when the root zone begins to dry; reduce watering once established.
• Avoid rich manure and routine high-nitrogen feeding, which encourage floppy growth.
• Keep thick organic mulch away from the crown; gravel mulch suits damp-winter gardens.
• Divide healthy clumps in spring every two or three years if flowering declines.

Pruning. Remove spent flower stems regularly to encourage repeat flowering, or leave a few seedheads for birds and self-seeding. Cut dead stems back to just above the basal leaves in late winter or early spring, leaving any healthy green growth intact.

Early spring

Remove dead stems and check that winter moisture has not rotted the crown.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps once the soil is workable; water divisions until rooted.

Spring

Sow seed in pots or directly into prepared, well-drained ground as conditions warm.

Early summer

Check new plants for drying out and support any stems leaning into paths.

Summer

Deadhead regularly and water established plants only during extended dry weather.

Autumn

Leave selected seedheads for birds, and clear wet fallen leaves away from the crown.

• Plant in sunny gravel borders with yarrow and catmint for a long-flowering, drought-tolerant display.
• Mix through prairie-style planting with little bluestem and purple coneflower.
• Use near the front or middle of informal borders for warm yellow and red colour.
• Plant in sunny pollinator beds where the open flower heads are easy for insects to reach.

Garden styles it suits: Native meadow, Pollinator garden, Dry gravel garden, Desert / xeriscape, Hot border and Midwest prairie.

Plant it with: Yarrow, Little bluestem, Purple coneflower, Catmint, Butterfly weed and Lanceleaf coreopsis.

Wildlife: Flowers attract bees and butterflies, and seedheads can feed seed-eating birds. It is a useful native flower for wildlife planting within its North American range.

• Crown or root rot in wet soil: improve drainage, keep mulch off the crown and replace badly affected plants in a drier position.
• Powdery mildew: provide full sun, space plants for airflow and remove badly affected foliage.
• Aster yellows, causing distorted growth and green, malformed flowers: remove and discard affected plants; there is no cure.
• Floppy stems and weak flowering: reduce feeding and watering, and move plants out of shade.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. The hairs and plant material can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people, so wear gloves if handling it irritates your skin; it is not an edible plant.

• Garden blanketflower (Gaillardia × grandiflora)

  This hybrid between G. aristata and G. pulchella includes many familiar garden selections. Its features overlap with both parents, so appearance alone is not always enough; check the botanical name on the label.

• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

  Usually has yellow rays surrounding a prominent dark brown, cone-shaped centre. Blanketflower has a more rounded reddish-brown disc and ray tips that are distinctly toothed.

Gaillardia honours the French botanical patron Gaillard de Charentonneau, while aristata means bristly or awned, referring to its bristle-like structures.

Propagation. Sow seed in spring, lightly covering it and keeping it moist until germination. Divide vigorous clumps in spring; seedlings can vary in flower colour, and named selections may not come true from seed.

Accepted botanical name

Gaillardia aristata

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Alberta, British Columbia, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Manitoba, Masachusettes, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Northwest Territorie.

Measured

Soil pH 5.5 to 7.9. Average height 37 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.