How to Grow & Care for Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
Blanket flower, also known as gaillardia, is an easy-to-grow, short-lived wildflower with richly colored, daisy-like blooms. These fast-growing plants mature to 24 inches tall with a 20-inch spread. This garden favorite puts out large showy blossoms in shades of orange, red, yellow, white, purple, and peach throughout the warm season.
Gaillardias are such long-blooming perennials that they work equally well in borders and containers. Blanket flowers do well with other heat-loving plants that thrive in full sun. The flower can reseed and easily sprawl through your garden and can be divided after two years to reinvigorate the plant.
Blanket flowers are usually planted from nursery starts, but grow easily from seeds planted directly in the garden after the last frost date (or started indoors about four to six weeks early). If grown from seed they bloom in their second year but plants purchased from nurseries are typically ready to bloom. The plant is fully hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 10. The blanket flower is slightly toxic to humans.
| Common Names | Gaillardia, blanket flower |
| Botanical Name | Gaillardia x grandiflora |
| Family | Asteraceae |
| Plant Type | Herbaceous, perennial |
| Mature Size | 24-36 in. tall, 12-24 in. wide |
| Sun Exposure | Full |
| Soil Type | Well-draining |
| Soil pH | Acidic, neutral |
| Bloom Time | Summer, fall |
| Flower Color | Orange, red, yellow, white |
| Hardiness Zones | 3-10 (USDA) |
| Native Area | Cultivar, no native range |
| Toxicity | Slightly toxic to humans |
Blanket Flower Care
Here are the main care requirements for growing blanket flowers.
- Plant blanket flowers in full sun.
- Put blanket flowers in poor, but well-draining soil; avoid planting this flower in clay soil.
- Water to moisten the soil, but do not oversaturate.
- Blanket flower tolerates temperature extremes.
- Avoid feeding blanket flowers fertilizer or go light on food.
Planting
Put blanket flowers in a hot, sunny spot in the spring after the last frost. If you live in a climate with mild winters, it's fine to plant blanket flowers in the fall. Plant seedlings about a foot apart or simply scatter seeds on raked soil.
Light
Give blanket flowers a space with full sun where they thrive best. Although blanket flowers can handle some partial shade, they will get a bit floppy and will not flower as profusely.
Soil
Do not amend the soil with rich matter because blanket flowers prefer poor soil. The plant is not particular aboutsoil pH, but it does need well-draining soil. It will grow in somewhat moist conditions, but heavyclay soilwill probably kill it.
Water
Check the soil of new plants frequently (every other day or so) to ensure the soil is moist but not soggy an inch below the soil line. Once established, gaillardia is extremely drought tolerant. It can go without watering unless there are extremely hot and dry conditions, then it's best to water the bed once or twice per week. Avoid overwatering.
Blanket Flower Tips for Beginners
- Best Place to Put It: Place your blanket flower in a sunny spot in your yard. This plant can also grow in partial shade, but the flower may flop over as a result.
- Best Way to Water It: Keep the soil for your blanket flower consistently moist but not too damp. Don't let it dry out completely.
- Best Soil Type: Blanket flowers prefer soil that is moist, not dry, but with plenty of drainage. Heavy clay soil isn't recommended.
Temperature and Humidity
The blanket flower can survive hot temperatures, even in full sun. They do not require a humid environment and do better in hot, dry climates over cool, moist ones.
Fertilizer
Go easy or avoid fertilizing blanket flowers. Poor soils seem to encourage more flowering than rich soils.
From: thespruce
