Do I need to deadhead my blanket flowers?

Yes, removing spent blooms will encourage the plant to produce more flowers throughout the season.

Why is my plant dying in the middle?

This is common in older plants and can be fixed by dividing the clump every few years.

Plant guide

Blanket flower.

Gaillardia grandiflora

Pronounced gay-LAR-dee-uh gran-dih-FLOR-uh

Also known as Blanket flower, Blanketflower, blanket-flower, gaillardia

This cheerful perennial brings a burst of sunset colors to your garden all summer long. It is a tough plant that thrives in heat and handles dry spells with ease. You will love how it attracts bees and butterflies to your outdoor space.

At a glance

Care level: Easy
Plant type: Perennial
Light: Full sun
Indoor light: Direct sun
Water: Every 7 to 14 days
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall
Growth rate: Fast
Hardiness: USDA 3 to 10
Bloom time: Early summer to mid autumn

Care

Plant this beauty in a spot with plenty of sun and well draining soil. Keep an eye out for powdery mildew if the air stays too humid. Deadheading spent blooms will keep the flowers coming back until the first frost.

Watering: Water deeply once the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
Feeding: Apply a light balanced fertilizer once during the spring to encourage blooms.
Pruning: Remove faded flowers regularly to promote continuous blooming throughout the season.
Repotting: Refresh the soil or move to a larger container if the roots become crowded.
Soil: Sandy or rocky well draining soil
Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.5
Temperature: -20 to 35°C
Humidity: 20 to 60%
Drought tolerance: High
Lifespan: Short lived perennial, typically 2 to 4 years.
Deer and rabbits: Moderate

Signs it needs repotting

Roots growing out of the drainage holes.
Water sitting on the surface of the soil.
The plant stops blooming despite good light.

Safety

People: The plant can cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals upon contact.
Children: The plant is not toxic but the hairy stems can be irritating to delicate skin if handled frequently.
Contact allergens: The foliage and stems may cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people.
Airborne allergens: The pollen can trigger mild allergic reactions in sensitive individuals during the peak bloom season.
Edibility: This plant is not considered edible and may cause stomach upset if ingested.

How to identify it

Daisy like flowers with fringed petals
Vibrant red, orange, and yellow hues
Hairy, lance shaped grey green leaves
Mounded growth habit

Height: 0.3 to 0.6m
Spread: 0.3 to 0.5m
Leaves: green, gray-green, deciduous
Flowers: red, orange, yellow, 5 to 8cm
Fruit: brown, late autumn

Problems to watch for

Powdery MildewCommon
Root RotCommon
AphidsUncommon
Leaf SpotUncommon

By symptom

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Growing it

Propagation: seed, division
When to plant: spring, autumn
Overwintering: Cut the foliage back to a few inches above the ground in late autumn. Ensure the soil is well drained to prevent crown rot during wet winter months.
In containers: It grows well in containers at least 30 cm wide, provided the pot has excellent drainage.

Division

1. Dig up the plant in early spring.
2. Gently pull the root clump apart into smaller sections.
3. Replant the sections immediately in well drained soil.

Seed

1. Collect seeds from dried flower heads in autumn.
2. Sow seeds indoors in late winter or directly outdoors in spring.
3. Keep the soil lightly moist until germination occurs.

Group these with other sun loving, drought tolerant perennials to create a low maintenance meadow style garden.

Grows well with

Purple Coneflower — They share similar requirements for sun and well drained soil.
Russian Sage — The airy blue flowers provide a nice contrast to the bold red and yellow blooms.
Sedum — Both plants are drought tolerant and thrive in similar sunny conditions.

Similar species

Coreopsis — It shares a similar growth habit and preference for sunny borders.
Rudbeckia — It offers a similar color palette and attracts the same types of pollinators.

Science

Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Gaillardia
Order: Asterales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: North America
Conservation: This is a common garden hybrid and is not of conservation concern.

It thrives in dry, sunny, open prairies and disturbed areas where it can outcompete other plants for light.

Value to wildlife: nectar source
Pollinators: bees, butterflies
Uses: border plant, container gardening, pollinator gardens, cut flowers

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 2/9
Light: 8/9
Moisture: 3/9
Soil reaction: 6/9
Temperature: 6/9
Nutrients: 3/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Do I need to deadhead my blanket flowers?: Yes, removing spent blooms will encourage the plant to produce more flowers throughout the season.
Why is my plant dying in the middle?: This is common in older plants and can be fixed by dividing the clump every few years.

Where the name comes from

The genus honors Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th century French magistrate and patron of botany. The species name grandiflora refers to the large size of the flowers compared to other species.

Good to know

The common name blanket flower comes from the way the flowers spread across the ground like a woven blanket.
These plants are very drought tolerant once they are established in the garden.
They are short lived perennials that often act like annuals in colder climates.
The vibrant colors are designed to attract pollinators from a great distance.

Also in

Drought-tolerant plants

Keep your blanket flower growing

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This guide was generated with AI and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.