Gaillardia aristata
Perennial blanketflower, blanketflower, blanket flower: this last name, translated from the English blanketflower, comes from the woven blankets of the Native American peoples of the Great Plains, whose concentric red and yellow patterns are an exact reflection of its flower heads. A dry-prairie perennial of remarkable generosity.
Characteristics:
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Exceptionally long flowering period: from June until the first frosts, without interruption if spent flowers are removed.
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Warm colors: large flower heads in shades of red, orange, and yellow, often arranged in concentric circles.
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Hardy and robust: undemanding, it thrives in difficult conditions.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun, essential for optimal flowering.
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Soil: ordinary to poor, sandy or stony, and above all very well drained in winter — this is the critical point: blanketflower dies far more often from winter moisture than from cold. In heavy soil, plant it on a mound. No fertilization is needed.
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Method: sow in spring, on the surface without covering, as the seeds need light to germinate. Sow in pots under cover from March, or directly in place after the frosts. See how to sow your seeds.
Care advice:
- Regularly remove spent flowers: this is what prolongs flowering until the first frosts.
- Divide the clump every 2–3 years to rejuvenate it: this is a short-lived perennial that becomes exhausted if allowed to flower continuously.
Beneficial combinations:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its broad, flat flower heads are ideal platforms for pollinators: bees, hoverflies, and butterflies flock to them over an exceptionally long period.
- Its seeds feed goldfinches if a few flower heads are left to mature at the end of the season.
Uses:
- Flower beds, borders, rock gardens, and wildflower meadows. An excellent cut flower with good vase life.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Leave a few flower heads to turn brown and dry completely on the plant until they form a bristly ball, then crumble them over a container: the plumed seeds come away easily. See how to store your seeds.
Our Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Volcanoes of Auvergne, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, test them for germination rates, and carefully sort and package them without any chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Bring warm colors to your garden all summer long with these blanketflower seeds.
