Gaillardia pulchella Seeds | Indian Blanket
LATIN NAME: Gaillardia pulchella
COMMON NAME: Indian Blanket
Plant Profile
A distinctive member of its genus, Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) is a perennial in the daisy family. The Indian blanket is red-and-yellow daisy of prairie, and bright, banded heads open through the summer. Plant is a fine, generous presence of sunny border and wildflower bed. It is a plant of open, sunny, well-drained ground. Bees find the flowers quickly, and that pollinator traffic is a garden benefit in its own right. These traits together are what have kept the plant in gardens for so long.
Science & Biotechnology
Within the daisy family, Gaillardia pulchella is of continuing interest to researchers working on plant diversity, seed biology and the selection of improved garden forms. In practice, its long garden history means the grower inherits a plant of known and dependable habits.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Indian Blanket for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. The Indian blanket is a fine, generous plant of sunny border and wildflower bed. It has been written up in horticultural and ecological papers for banded heads and long, bright ways, and it is a fine, generous plant of open, sunny, well-drained garden. Cut plants back after the first flush and they will come again with the fresh heads through the late summer. Given the right start, it carries on with minimal intervention.
Blanket flowers bloom through heat and drought for months, feeding native bees; they are among the toughest of all bedding perennials.
Growing from Seed
Starting Indian Blanket from seed is simple and satisfying. Broadcast the seed thinly over a fine, free-draining compost, sieve a little more compost on top, and water with a fine rose. Move strong seedlings into individual pots, keep them in good light, and set them out when the weather and their size agree.
Our Take
It is a solid representative of the Gaillardia group, true to type from seed. As a perennial, it settles into a routine quickly once established. Young plants want steady water; older plants take conditions as they come.
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