Gaillardia aristata
Blanketflower is an exceptionally striking wildflower, recognized by its iconic ombre petals with varying shades of yellow to deep orange and brown, which persist from late spring through late summer. Add this beauty to your sunny pollinator garden and enjoy watching pollinators on flowers all summer long and birds collecting the seeds each fall.
- Plant type/canopy layer: deciduous, perennial, herbaceous plant
- Size at maturity: up to 36" tall (flowering stalk, foliage much shorter), up to 24" wide
- Light requirements: full sun, will tolerate light shade
- Moisture requirements: moist to dry soil, prefers well-drained
- Growth rate/ease: moderate growth rate, easy to grow, can self-sow gently
- Bloom time: May - September
- Wildlife support: seeds attract and are eaten by birds; flowers attract and provide pollen to metallic sweat bees (Agapostemon spp.) and bumble bees; overall plant attract and supports pest eating and other beneficial insects
- Native range: conifer forests, mixed woodlands, grasslands, hillsides, riverbanks and roadsides, from 50–1600m, across inland PNW to Rockies. Portland Plant List - no.
- Special features & uses: drought-tolerant; beneficial insect, pollinator and wildlife favorite; landscape uses include pollinator gardens, meadowscapes, rock gardens and greenroofs
Gardening with Blanketflower: Hardy, easy to grow - an excellent addition for sunny wildflower meadows and pollinator parking strips. Does not spread vigorously and is low-maintenance and drought tolerant once established. This plant is not exceptionally long-lived, especially in the wet Willamette Valley - but, you can enjoy this plant over many years if you allow or encourage it to self-sow.
Photo Credit 1 & 2: "Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata)" by USFWS Mountain Prairie is marked with CC PDM 1.0
Photo Credit 3: "Gaillardia aristata" by Matt Lavin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0