INDIAN BLANKET

Gaillardia aristata

Sunflower Family (Compositae)

This familiar wildflower of the northern Great Plains enters our area only in the northeastern section, but it has been widely used in reclamation plantings and is now found growing wild over much of our region in drier habitats. It has leafy stems and dark green leaves. The rays of the flower heads vary in color from yellow to Indian red, and its numerous cultivars and hybrid selections have variously variegated coloration. The disks at the center of the rays are usually purplish. Indian blanket makes a great addition to meadow plantings, especially those that use warm season grasses and that will receive some summer irrigation. It performs well in a traditional garden setting and its cultivars are very widely available as seeds and plants, even in mainstream outlets. Though quite drought-hardy, it can tolerate the watering regimes encountered in traditional gardens and is broadly adapted in terms of soils It combines well with Lewis flax, showy sandwort, and Rocky Mountain penstemon.