Blanket Flower

Blanket Flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora)

Perennial Gaillardia

Full sun, dry to moderately dry moisture level, well-drained sandy or gravelly soil; tolerates poor, infertile soils; slightly acid to neutral pH.

2–3 feet tall and wide, blooms late spring through frost with red, orange, and yellow daisy-like flowers; individual plants are often short-lived (2–3 years) but self-seed readily.

Germination Code: A — direct sow in spring; easy from seed. Division in early spring extends the life of individual crowns.

Native region: Not native to Tennessee; hybrid between G. aristata (western North America) and G. pulchella (southern US/Mexico); widely adapted ornamental.

Blanket flower is among the most heat- and drought-tolerant perennials available for Middle Tennessee. It performs best in the lean, fast-draining soils of raised beds, slopes, and rocky sites around Columbia-area foundations — the same conditions where most perennials struggle in July and August. The primary failure mode in Middle TN is wet clay: roots rot in poorly drained sites, especially over winter. Avoid overhead irrigation and heavy mulching around the crown. Rich, amended soils produce floppy plants with reduced bloom. Attracts bees and butterflies throughout the long bloom period; goldfinches feed on the seed heads in fall.