Gaillardia pulchella Foug.

Firewheel; Common Blanket Flower

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Common Blanket Flower is a native annual in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It can be found throughout the state, but is most common in the southern counties. Common Blanket Flower grows on dunes, on roadsides, in vacant lots, and along railroad tracks. It is usually found on dry, sandy or calcareous soils. Common Blanket Flower is an annual with a tap root. Plants are branched from about the middle and 2-2 1/2 feet in height. Leaves are alternate, petiolate (lower leaves) or sessile (upper leaves), lanceolate to spatulate in outline, and pubescent. The margins range from entire to toothed or lobed. Flowers are produced in heads. Ray flowers are 8-14, red at the base and yellow at the tip. Ray flowers are sometimes all red or yellow. Disc flowers are yellow, red, brown, or bicolored. The fruit is an awned achene. Common Blanket Flower is a popular ornamental plant. It thrives in poor soil and is drought tolerant once established. Many nurseries sell seedlings or seed. Common Blanket Flower is often included in packets of mixed wildflower seed, and it has been used in roadside plantings. Removing old flower heads will encourage more flowers to form. Plants readily reseed themselves.--A. Diamond

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Native

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