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Blanket Flower

Gaillardia pulchella Foug.

Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

▲▼ mature flowering plants

▲▼ head inflorescences

▲▼ head inflorescences, showing different color ranges of ray flowers

▲ post-flowering heads, leaving globe-shaped structure that will break apart to release fruit/seeds

Gaillardia pulchella  Foug., Rose-ring Gaillardia, Blanketflower:  (Bayer Code:  GAIPU; US Code GAPU)

·         Native, annuals or short-lived perennial wildflowers that grow 0.5 to 2 feet tall, usually much branched from the base, with hairy stems and leaves

·         Leaves are alternate, lanceolate, with rounded-toothed lobes (sometimes unlobed) in upper portion of leaf; leaves have short or no petiole

·         Head inflorescences are borne singly at tips of elongated, hairy flowering stems and are about 1-2 inches across

·         Heads have 8-14 ray florets (“petals”) that are orange to red at their base, and yellow and lobed at their tips; the 40-100 or more disk florets are yellow fading to reddish-purple

·         Bracts below the inflorescence are green, hairy, with toothed margins

·         Flowering time is late spring through late summer

·         Prefers full sun, prairies, pastures, rangeland, sandy or limestone soils

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