How To Grow And Care For Blanket Flowers (Gaillardia)

Carpet the garden in vibrant red, orange, and yellow blooms.

Sun-loving blanket flowers are a beloved native wildflower abuzz with butterflies and native bees. Flowering spring through fall, blanket flowers are a must-have for native plant enthusiasts and butterfly gardeners alike. The cheerful flowers look lovely massed in perennial beds and are perfect for naturalizing into meadows and prairie plantings. Sow lower-growing varieties at the front of mixed borders or tuck them into cottage gardens. The taller-stemmed varieties make excellent cut flowers, providing an endless supply of blooms. Watch for goldfinches and other songbirds feeding on the tiny seed heads in autumn.

The genus Gaillardia includes some 30 species of annuals, perennials, and biennials from North and South America. Many hybrids are available in the nursery trade that combine the best traits of the parental lines including large flowers, a compact growth habit, and tolerance to heat and drought. Perennial species and hybrids are often short-lived due to their prolific blooming, but well worth growing for the explosion of color they bring to the garden. Many species and some hybrids readily self-sow in the garden. Provide plants with good drainage and plenty of sunshine, and you’ll be rewarded with an abundance of blooms.

Related: 15 Full-Sun Annuals That Will Add Beautiful Color To Your Garden All Summer Long

Blanket Flower Care

Blanket flowers are commonly found covering hillsides and open prairies. They thrive in sunny planting beds and do not require much pampering, preferring dry to medium soil of average fertility. They are drought tolerant, making them perfect for water-wise gardens. Consider growing blanket flowers in containers or raised beds if you have heavy or poor-draining soil.

Light

Blanket flowers need full sun to bloom, at least 6 hours a day.

Soil

They perform best on loose, well-draining soil including loam, sand, and shallow rocky soils. Plants do not grow well in heavy clay soils, where they commonly rot during the winter.

Water

These plants have low to medium water needs. Blanket flowers are drought tolerant once established and only require supplemental water during extended dry periods. Seeds and young transplants need consistent moisture to establish. Hybrids benefit from moister soils.

Temperature And Humidity

Blanket flowers are heat-loving plants that thrive in dry climates; however they also tolerate humidity.

Fertilizer

There is generally no need to fertilize blanket flowers as they flower best on poor soil. Some species will flop over when grown in rich soils. Hybrids are more tolerant of fertile soil.

Types Of Blanket Flowers

Most blanket flowers sold at garden centers are hybrid varieties of Gaillardia x grandiflora, which was first developed in 1857. You can also readily find seed of the annual species, Gaillardia pulchella. Other perennial species are starting to become more widely available at specialty nurseries including lance leaf blanket flower, Gaillardia aestivalis, which is native to the southeastern United States.

Annual Blanket Flower

Also called firewheel for its flame-colored blooms, annual blanket flower, Gaillardia pulchella, grows 12 to 24 inches tall and 6 to 12 inches wide. Native to central and southwestern United states and northern Mexico, blanket flower has naturalized eastward throughout the southern states and along the Atlantic coast. Seed is widely available and germinates readily to add quick color to sunny gardens.

• 'Double Sunset' is a showy heirloom variety with a double or single row of trumpet-tipped petals in a mix of red, yellow, and burgundy hues.

• 'Red Plume' was named an All-America Selections winner in 1991 for its abundant double red blooms and compact form.

• 'Yellow Plume' grows similar to 'Red Plume', but with solid yellow trumpet-shaped petals.

Lance Leaf Blanket Flower

The three-lobed ray petals of lance leaf blanket flower, Gaillardia aestivalis, give the flowers a unique appearance. Flowers are commonly yellow with burgundy central discs, though pink, purple, and creamy white forms exist with dark or yellow discs. This perennial blanket flower grows in open woodlands and prairies throughout the southeastern United States, from North Carolina to Kansas and south to Texas and Florida and is hardy in USDA Zones 5 to 9.

• 'Grape Sensation' boasts an unusual color pattern with magenta pink ray petals and purple discs. Spent flowerheads maintain their dark purple hue providing lasting color and texture.

• 'Glitz 'n Glamour' stands up to heat and humidity. This variety produces yellow rays and discs. Like 'Grape Sensation', spent flowerheads maintain their color, providing an interesting texture
  complement to the fresh blooms.

Hybrid Blanket Flowers

Gaillardia x grandiflora is a hybrid of the perennial species Gaillardia aristate and the annual species Gaillardia pulchella. With new cultivars being introduced each year, this group offers a great deal of variation in flower color and form, as well as plant size and growth habits. Selected for their vigor, larger flowers, and perennial life span, hybrid blanket flowers produce some of the showiest blooms, including double flowers and tubular ray petals.

• 'Arizona Sun' produces large, red-orange blooms with a red eye and bright yellow fringe. Flowers appear earlier than many other gaillardia selections and bloom all summer long into fall. It is among the most popular varieties, along with 'Arizona Apricot' which has softer, peach-orange and yellow hues.

• 'Sun Devil' is a flamboyant variety with fluted red ray petals tipped in golden yellow. These vibrant blooms add color and texture to the garden throughout the season.

• 'Mesa? Red' flaunts an abundance of rich red blooms on upright, well branched plants. The Mesa Series includes Yellow, Peach, and Bicolor varieties, all with flat ray flowers that hold their color
  without fading. 

How To Grow Blanket Flower From Seed

Many blanket flower species and some hybrids readily self-sow in the garden. Others are available for purchase as seeds that can be easily germinated indoors or sown directly in the garden. Note that some hybrids will not come true from seed. When direct sowing blanket flower in the garden, make sure to the mark the location where you planted seeds so you don’t accidentally weed them, as young plants can resemble dandelion seedlings.

Direct Sow Annual Blanket Flower

The best way to start annual blanket flower (Gaillardia pulchella) is to directly sow the seeds into the garden in the location where you wish the plants to grow.

1. Sow seeds in late fall or mid-spring.

2. Prepare the planting bed by removing weeds and raking the soil even.

3. Spread seeds evenly and lightly rake to provide good contact with the soil, covering seeds by no more than ?”, as blanket flower seeds need light to germinate.

4. Irrigate as needed to maintain consistent moisture for germination.

5. As seedlings establish, thin plants to a spacing of 1 plant every 12"–18".

Start Perennial Blanket Flower Species And Hybrids Indoors

Perennial and hybrid gaillardia varieties are best started indoors and moved into the garden as young plants. Start seeds 6 to 8 weeks before the average last frost date for your area. Perennial gaillardia bloom in their first season.

1. Fill starter pots with a high-quality seed starting soil mix. Look for a container about 3 to 4 inches deep with drainage holes in the bottom.

2. Before sowing seeds, moisten the soil evenly until it is damp but not soaked.

3. Sow three seeds per pot, setting them ?-inch deep. Cover them with a very thin layer of potting media.

4. Use a mister or spray bottle to keep the soil moist but not wet. Covering the seed tray loosely with plastic is an excellent way to maintain soil moisture.

5. Seedlings will emerge in 15-25 days. Remove plastic when seedlings emerge and move them to a location receiving bright light. If supplemental lighting is needed, use a fluorescent plant light set 3-4 inches above the seedlings, raising it as plants grow. Provide 14 to 16 hours of light per day.

6. Transplant seedlings into the garden or outdoor containers when they are 3-4” tall. Begin hardening off seedlings about one week prior to transplanting outdoors.

How To Transplant Blanket Flowers Into The Garden

Garden centers carry a wide range of blanket flower varieties for purchase as young plants. Look for healthy plants with clean foliage and compact stems. Transplant blanket flowers into the garden after the threat of frost has passed in spring. Whether you start your plants from seeds or purchase blanket flowers from the garden center, seedlings will benefit from a period of hardening off prior to being planted in the garden.

Hardening off slowly acclimates plants to outdoor conditions to avoid shocking them with the drastic change in environment. Expose plants to outdoor conditions during the day by placing them in a protected location, out of direct sunlight and wind. Increase the length of time seedlings are outside each day and slowly increase exposure to sunlight and wind. By the end of the week, plants can be set in full sun and left outside overnight. Pay attention to watering as plants will require more water outside due to wind and higher temperatures.

Once plants are hardened off, they can be transplanted into the garden.

1. Wait until all threat of frost has passed before transplanting blanket flower seedlings.

2. Space plants according to their mature width, approximately 12-18 inches apart.

3. Dig a planting hole large enough to accommodate the root ball of the plant.

4. Gently remove the plant from its pot and loosen the roots if they are tightly bound.

5. Set plants at the same depth they are growing in their containers.

6. Fill the planting hole with soil, pressing the soil down gently with your hand.

7. Water plants thoroughly and mulch with a 1- to 2-inch layer of organic material such as compost, cocoa bean hulls, or wood chips.   
   

Pruning Blanket Flower

Blanket flowers require very little pruning to maintain healthy plants. Plants that overwintered in the garden can be cut back just above ground level in late winter to remove dead foliage. Deadheading is generally not necessary, however removing spent blooms may encourage additional flowering. Some gardeners like to deadhead plants early in the season to keep the plant looking tidier, then allow late season flowers to remain in place, providing seed for birds and self-sowing. Deadheading may also help prolong the life of these short-lived plants as they put less energy into maturing seeds. 

How To Get Blanket Flower To Bloom

Blanket flowers are prolific bloomers and typically require very little encouragement to set flowers. If your plants fail to bloom, make sure they are receiving adequate light. Plants need at least six hours of direct sun each day. Blanket flowers are also sensitive to too much fertilizer, which can promote leaf growth at the expense of flowers. The same is true of excess water, which damages roots and causes plant stress. Be sure you are not over-pruning, which can remove flower buds. 

Overwintering Blanket Flower

Under the right conditions, blanket flowers overwinter in the garden with little care. The most common reason plants die during the winter months is poorly draining soil which leads to root rot. The best way to promote overwintering is to provide the right growing conditions when planting, including a loose, well-draining soil. In colder climates, a layer of leaves or straw can help insulate plants against soil heaving. Remember, blanket flowers are short-lived. Allowing some seed to fall to the ground and encouraging seedlings is another way to carry blanket flowers from one season to the next.

Propagating Blanket Flower

The easiest way to propagate blanket flowers is to encourage plants to self-sow in the garden. You can also collect seed and start it indoors as described above. Because individual plants are short lived, they seldom require division. If plants manage to survive long enough, you can increase your stock by dividing plants every two to three years in fall or early spring. Division can help to improve vigor and extend the life of plants. 

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Deer and rabbits tend to avoid blanket flowers, and the plants generally have few pest problems. Plants are susceptible to powdery mildew, especially when they are overcrowded, or weather brings humid conditions. Avoid problems with powdery mildew by properly spacing plants to ensure good air circulation. Aster yellows can also be a problem. This common disease is transmitted by leafhopper insects and cannot be treated once established. It causes stunted or deformed growth and green flowers. Remove and destroy any infected plants to control the spread of aster yellows. Aphids and thrips may feed on plants but are not considered to be serious pests.

Common Problems

The most common challenge to growing blanket flowers is root rot due to poorly drained soil. Provide adequate drainage in containers and avoid excess irrigation in pots and garden beds. Site plants properly in the garden to help prevent this problem. Plant blanket flowers in loose, well-draining soil. If your garden soil has a high clay content or otherwise drains poorly, consider planting blanket flowers on berms, or in raised beds or containers.

Related: 38 Heat-Tolerant Container Garden Ideas For Sweltering Summers

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