Blanketflower

Blanketflower, also called Gaillardia, is a colorful native perennial that grows 10 to 24 inches tall.  It prefers well-drained soils and elevations between 1,300 and 9,000 feet.  Its red flowers fringed with bright yellow add a striking contrast to the landscape and it is a great choice for a low-maintenance wildflower garden.  Blanketflower is also used in reclamation work to revegetate disturbed sites.  It blooms from Spring through late Summer and is a food source for butterflies and other pollinators.  Blanketflower seed is best planted in the Spring; it does not require cold stratification to break dormancy.  The seeds should be planted 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.  After establishment, Blanketflower only requires watering during extended hot and dry periods because it develops a tap root that can access deep ground moisture.  The fuzzy hairs on the stems and leaves of Blanketflower are a skin irritant to some people.