How to Grow Gaillardia -- Garden Chronicle

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Gaillardias are short-lived perennials and annuals grown for their long-lasting brightly colored daisy-like flowers that appear from summer into early fall. Gaillardias bear single and double flowers in shades of red, red-orange, maroon, and yellow.

There are about 30 species of Gaillardias. They are native to central and western North America. Most Gaillardias grown in gardens are hybrids developed to bear large blooms, 3 to 5 inches (7.6-12cm) wide.

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Gaillardias are members of the Aster family. They bear rosettes of hairy leaves topped by single or double daisy-like flowers. Perennial Gaillardias commonly live for three to five years.

Gaillardias are easy to grow from seed. They are a colorful choice for borders and cutting. They often reseed.

Blanket flower, Gaillardia x grandiflora — Blanket flower, *Gaillardia* x grandiflora

Table of Contents

Get to know Gaillardia

Plant type: Annuals and perennials
Growing Zones and range: Zones 2 to 10
Hardiness: Hardy to -35°F (-37°C); thrives in hot, warm, or cold climates
Height and width: 10 to 36 inches (25-91cm) tall; 10 to 24 inches (25-61cm) wide, depending on the variety
Foliage: Toothed or lobed slightly hairy leaves from basal rosettes
Flowers: Daisylike, disk florets flowers
Flower colors: Red, orange, yellow, and bicolors; double and semi-double blooms
Bloom time: Summer through frost
Uses: Beds, borders, wildflower gardens, and containers; seaside gardens (salt-tolerant), hillsides, raised beds, parking areas, sunny walkways, patios, and bare and dry spots (drought-tolerant)
Common name: Blanket Flower, gaillardia
Botanical name: Gaillardia spp.
Family: Asteraceae
Origin: North America

Where to plant Gaillardia

Plant Gaillardia in full sun—tolerates heat and drought.
Gaillardia grows best in average well-drained soil; poor, dry, and sandy soil is not a problem. Blanket flower prefers drier soil.
Soil too rich will cause plants to be floppy.
Gaillardia is drought and salt-tolerant.
Gaillardia prefers a soil pH of 6.1 to 6.5.

Gaillardia uses and companions

Mass Gaillardia for a colorful effect.
Use Gaillardia in a cottage and informal gardens.
Gaillardia can be included in wildflower plantings.
Gaillardia is best matched with other hot-colored flowers.
Good garden companions for Gaillardia are Achillea, Coreopsis, Hemerocallis, Linum, Solidago, and ornamental grasses.

When to plant Gaillardia

Plant Gaillardia in spring; perennial varieties can be planted in fall.
Sow seeds of annual Gaillardias indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost in spring.
Sow seed outdoors after the last frost. Gaillardia is easy to grow from seed.
Set container-grown Gaillardia in the garden in spring and autumn.

Blanket flower, Gaillardia aristata — Blanket flower, *Gaillardia aristata*

Planting and spacing Gaillardia

Sow seed indoors 1/8 inch deep in sterile seed starting mix or potting soil. Light aids germination, so gently press the seeds into the soil surface.
Sow seed outdoors in evenly prepared soil.
Space Gaillardia 1 to 2 feet (30-61cm) apart.

How to water and feed Gaillardia

Water Gaillardia until the soil is deeply moist, then allow the soil to dry before watering again. Allow the soil to dry between watering.
Established plants can tolerate dry soil.
Fertilize Gaillardia lightly if at all. Use an all-purpose fertilizer.

Blanket flower, Gaillardia pulchella — Blanket flower, *Gaillardia pulchella*

Gaillardia care

Trim Gaillardia spent blooms to keep the plant blooming.
Taller plants may need staking.
Gaillardia easily re-seeds itself so remove plants you don’t want.

Gaillardia pests and diseases

Gaillardia is prone to powdery mildew and leafhoppers.
Gaillardia is susceptible to crown rot in wet conditions.
Downy mildew may attack the undersides of leaves causing them to turn yellow.

Gaillardia propagation

Propagate Gaillardia by seed (see above), division, or stem cuttings taken in early summer.
Seeds germinate in 14 to 21 days at 55°-64°F (13°-18°C).
Propagate by rooting cuttings taken in winter. Grow cuttings in a cold frame before planting them in the open garden in spring.
Divide perennial Gaillardia every 2 to 3 years in early spring.

Gaillardia varieties to grow

G. aristata, blanket flower: Perennial wildflowers can grow to 30 inches (76cm) tall and spread to 24 inches wide; 4-inch-wide flowers with red-orange centers and yellow petals with lobes at the tips; blooms summer to fall.
G. x grandiflora, blanket flower: Short-loved perennial to grow in Zones 2-10; grows 24 to 36 inches (60-91cm) tall; 3 to 5 inch wide flowers in a combination of reds, Maroon,s oranges, and y3llo2w from early summer to fall; dwarf cultivars grow 8 to 16 inches (20-40cm) tall.
G. pulchella, blanket flower: Annual grows to 18 inches (45cm) tall; bears red, yellow, or red and yellow daisylike flowers to 2 inches wide with purple-black centers from summer to fall; grows in Zones 2-11. ‘Red Plume’ is an All-America Selection with dwarf habit and extended bloom time; ‘Yellow Sun’ produces dense mounds of foliage and bright yellow flowers.

Gaillardia x grandiflora — Blanket-flower

Gaillardia x grandiflora bears 3-inch-wide, single or semidouble, daisylike flowers that are banded with bright colors from early summer to mid-fall. Rounded, dark burgundy or russet centers are surrounded by two-toned, gold-and-maroon petals with jagged notches at their tips. Leaves are 6 inches long, gray-green, and toothed, somewhat resembling dandelion foliage. Gaillardia x grandiflora is a hybrid between an annual and perennial species. It is a perennial that lives just two or three years.

Size: 2 to 3 feet tall; 2 feet wide.
Light: Full sun.
Soil and moisture: Fertile, sandy, well-drained soil. Tolerates seashore conditions. Allow to dry between waterings; drought tolerant.
Planting and propagation: Plant container-grown plants in spring, spacing 1 ½ feet apart. Divide in spring, replanting root sections that show new growth. Self-sown seeds may not come true. Take stem cuttings in summer.
Special care: Deadhead plants to prolong blooming.
Pest and diseases: Sometimes powdery mildew and leaf hoppers. Crown rot if too wet. Root rot in winter in heavy soil.
Climate: Zones 2-10; heat tolerant.
Cultivars and similar species: ‘Gobling,’ 4-inch flowers with yellow-edged red petals, dwarf to 1 foot tall; ‘Golden Goblin,’ pale yellow, 1 foot tall; ’Baby Cole,’ 3-inch flowers with yellow petals banded with red, dwarf to 8 inches tall; ‘Burgundy’, solid wine-red; ‘Aurea Pura’ and ‘the Sun’, solid golden yellow; ‘Monarch Mix,’ seed-grown, variable mix of solids and bicolors. G aristate: one of its parents, less showy but longer lived; use in naturalistic gardens and meadow plantings.
Garden use: Cottage and informal gardens. Gaillardia’s Bicolored blossoms are difficult to combine with other flowers. Best coupled with other color flowers or their pastel versions.