Blanket Flower

{"key":"blanket","name":"Blanket Flower","botanical":"Gaillardia pulchella","slug":"blanket-flower","id":"PLT-GAIL-PULC","type":"accents","h":[1,2],"w":[0.8333333333333334,1],"install":[0.5,0.5],"native":false,"accentGroup":"wildflower","accentForm":"daisy","light":"Full sun","lightTags":["sun"],"water":"Freely draining soil; water new plants, then allow the soil to dry between waterings","season":"Red and yellow flowers through warm weather; seedheads and seasonal decline","care":"Allow selected seedlings; remove spent flowers for a tidier display","benefit":"Bring warm, easygoing color to a sunny garden.","intro":"Blanket Flower brings red, orange and yellow daisy-like flowers to a loose mound of gray-green foliage. Its relaxed shape fits a cottage-style bed or a sunny pollinator planting where a few seedheads and changing flowers belong in the picture. The open form is part of its appeal; it will not look like a tightly clipped shrub.","caution":"This is usually an annual or short-lived perennial, so plan for replacement or reseeding rather than permanent evergreen coverage. Wet roots are a poor fit. The species in this guide is Gaillardia pulchella; named perennial hybrids may have different dimensions and persistence.","sizeNote":"NC State lists plants at 1–2 ft high and 10–12 in wide. The measured drawing uses that individual-plant range, including flower stems. Seedlings can occupy additional ground, so this width does not define the eventual flowering patch. Confirm the nursery label before using dimensions from a different Gaillardia hybrid.","site":"Use Blanket Flower in a sunny Pensacola bed with sand or other soil that drains freely. Keep the planting separate from areas watered frequently for moisture-loving foliage. A small group near a path can offer flowers without overwhelming the rest of the garden. Establishment water and early weed control still matter, even when the mature planting is tolerant of dry conditions.","uses":["A sunny cottage-style border","A warm-color pollinator patch","A freely draining container","A small informal cutting garden","A seasonal foreground near upright grasses"],"checks":[["Does water drain after a storm?","Check the actual root zone, including roof runoff and low spots. A dry-looking surface can hide persistently wet soil below it."],["Can seedlings appear nearby?","Let a few seedheads mature where natural renewal is welcome. Remove unwanted seedlings while small to keep the planting within its intended area."],["Which Gaillardia is being sold?","Match the botanical name and cultivar. A compact hybrid selected for a container may not have the habit, height or life cycle described here."],["How tidy should this bed look?","Deadheading removes fading flowers; leaving seedheads offers a more natural look and food for birds. Choose the balance that suits the view from the house."]],"faq":[["Is it a permanent perennial?","Treat this species as annual or short-lived in the landscape. A patch that returns from seed can look persistent even when individual plants have been replaced."],["Why does the botanical name matter?","Gaillardia includes different species and garden hybrids. Match Gaillardia pulchella on the nursery label to use this guide’s size and life-cycle reference. Verify provenance separately if the planting must be strictly local-native."],["Will it flower in a shady bed?","Full sun is the useful starting point for a strong display. For a shaded entry, consider the shade-tolerant foliage and flowering choices elsewhere in this collection."]],"sources":[["NC State Extension: Blanket Flower","https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/gaillardia-pulchella/"]],"unit":"in","heightLabel":"Typical height","spreadLabel":"Typical spread","heightText":"12–24 in","spreadText":"10–12 in","sizeSummary":"12–24 in high × 10–12 in wide","color":"#70815a","bloomColor":"#cd8e38","guideKind":"Flowering + accent plant","eyebrow":"FLOWERS + FOLIAGE / FORM + SEASON","aliases":["Blanket Flower","Gaillardia pulchella","Firewheel","Indian Blanket Flower"],"goals":["color"],"wholeCaption":"Illustrative overall form of Blanket Flower. The nursery selection, season and site affect appearance.","detailCaption":"Illustrative foliage and seasonal detail of Blanket Flower; confirm the botanical name and selection on the nursery label.","images":{"context":{"id":"6aa093d53783fcdd7c479a46","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa093d53783fcdd7c479a46_landova-accent-blanket-context.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Blanket Flower","width":1600,"height":900},"whole":{"id":"6aa093d6cfe212e8ad2f633e","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa093d6cfe212e8ad2f633e_landova-accent-blanket-whole.webp","alt":"Illustrative whole-plant form of Blanket Flower","width":1448,"height":1086,"fit":"contain"},"detail":{"id":"6aa093d6e788bb371fe2c358","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa093d6e788bb371fe2c358_landova-accent-blanket-detail.webp","alt":"Illustrative foliage and seasonal detail of Blanket Flower","width":1254,"height":1254}},"companions":[{"slug":"pink-muhly-grass","name":"Pink Muhly Grass","title":"Add a fine-textured background","reason":"Pink Muhly suits sun and draining soil. Keep the flower planting outside its full mature footprint.","image":{"id":"6aa00228430659e428d61061","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa00228430659e428d61061_landova-grass-muhly-context.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Pink Muhly Grass","width":1600,"height":900}},{"slug":"schillings-dwarf-yaupon-holly","name":"Schilling’s Dwarf Yaupon Holly","title":"Keep evergreen structure nearby","reason":"Dwarf Yaupon can frame the seasonal flowers from a separate, larger planting position without shading them.","image":{"id":"6a9f5cd31fbbc23ce58d34ef","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6a9f5cd31fbbc23ce58d34ef_landova-schilling-context-r05.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Schilling’s Dwarf Yaupon Holly"}},{"slug":"society-garlic","name":"Society Garlic","title":"Contrast warm flowers with lilac","reason":"Society Garlic offers a separate upright clump in sun and draining soil. Leave room around both plants and match watering to establishment needs.","image":{"id":"6aa093dee788bb371fe2c6d5","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa093dee788bb371fe2c6d5_landova-accent-society-context.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Society Garlic","width":1600,"height":900}}]}