Names like firewheel, sundance and Indian blanket give clear indication that this is a flower that packs some color. Two-foot-tall plants loaded with red flowers that look as though they have been dipped in yellow make this a winning plant in landscapes, butterfly gardens and wildflower meadows.
Known botanically as Gaillardia pulchella, it is indeed one of the most beloved wildflowers in the United States — and rightfully so. It is native to all but 11 of the lower 48 states. In mid-March, it is blooming in dramatic fashion at the National Butterfly Center in far south Texas along the Rio Grande, and it will no doubt be putting on a show in your region in the near future.
What’s more, this flower is treasured by butterflies. It seems that no matter which clump we look at there is a red admiral, bordered patch, American lady or a crescent butterfly feasting on the nectar.
At the center, we used transplants that were set out at the end of October. The soil is fertile, and it was well prepared before planting. The plants were set out in a cooperative project with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service along with a combination of 21 other wildflowers and native grasses.
G. pulchella is typically considered a short-lived perennial and/or reseeding annual. Though not impossible, it is still fairly rare to find this species available at garden centers. Most gardeners who love spring wildflowers sow it by seed.
More Top Picks Ties Plant
The good news is that there’s a similar species that is just as sought-after and much more readily available. Gaillardia aristata, commonly known as blanket flower, has become a popular perennial. It is native in the West from Canada to New Mexico and across the northern third of the United States eastward to New York. In garden trials I have been associated with, varieties such as “Oranges and Lemons” and “Sunburst” have stood out, tolerating the sweltering heat and humidity of the South. Blanket flower is a fairly tough perennial and one that also reseeds to provide a double shot.
A couple of years ago the gardening world was turned upside down by the debut of “Mesa Yellow,” the first F1 hybrid gaillardia that can flower from seed after springtime sowing (instead of gardeners’ having to sow seed the previous fall for a following year’s bloom). This solid yellow variety not only did well in trials but was also chosen as an All-America Selections Winner. The “Mesa” series has now been expanded to two with the addition of “Mesa Bright” bicolor that looks more like the traditional red and yellow blanket flower.
Norman Winter is executive director of the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden” (University Press of Mississippi).
Gaillardia success
Gaillardias will bloom best if you select a location in full sun. Almost any type of soil is fine as long as it is well-drained: Gaillardia does not like wet feet. Once established, this plant is drought-tolerant. Deadheading promotes more flowering, but the thing that impressed me with the “Mesa Yellow” was that spent flowers took on a golden globe look for a period of time, looking almost as appealing as a gomphrena.
In the landscape you have options of combining it with yellow flowers for a monochromatic color scheme. But you couldn’t go wrong combining it with blue flowers like “Victoria Blue” salvias or “Blue Daze” evolvulus.
— N.W.