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Features
The daisy-like, single flowers of this Gaillardia have dark red centres (made up of the actual flowers), with scarlet rays (additional petals) tipped with sunshine yellow. The long, grey-green leaves grow in clumps, with the flowers held above them on stems up to 30cm tall.
What to use it for
Great for a sunny bed or border, particularly one with a ‘hot colours’ theme. Can also be grown in containers, although they should be moved to a sheltered spot for winter protection. Useful for cut flowers, particularly as removing the flowers can encourage the plant to produce more.
How to look after it
Other than the deadheading and cutting back described below, this plant requires little maintenance.
How to prune it
The flowers should be deadheaded regularly to encourage more blooms. In milder climates, cut back to ground level in late summer after flowering.
How to propagate it
In early spring, divide the clumps into individual shoots which have well developed roots. Alternatively, take root cuttings in late autumn, using the thickest roots you can find from the exterior of the root ball, to minimise disturbance to the parent plant. Root cuttings should be 5cm to 6cm long and root best with bottom heat of 10°C.
Gaillardia plants can also be grown from seed in the spring. Seeds can be collected from ripe seedheads, which should be dried for a few days so the seeds fall out easily. Seeds should be sown at a minimum of 15°C and should germinate in around 10 days. Seeds collected from cultivars such as ‘Kobold’ may not come true.
Common problems
Can be affected by smut or lettuce downy mildew. Gaillardia can be relatively short lived, so if yours fails after a few years it isn’t necessarily something you’ve done wrong!
Other useful information
The genus Gaillardia is named after Gaillard de Charentonneau, a 18th century French magistrate and amateur botanist. The common name ‘Blanket flower’ originates from the colourful blankets made by Native Americans.
