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Blanketflower

Gaillardia aristata

The perennial blanketflower, spinning out big red-and-gold daisies all summer. Parent of countless hybrids but tougher and longer-lived than any of them. Documented food use among Indigenous peoples, though specifics are sparse.

Family

Asteraceae

Type

wildflower

Lifespan

perennial

Height

1–3 ft

Spacing

1–2 ft apart

Light

sun

Soil moisture

dry

Soil pH

acidic, neutral, alkaline

Bloom

July, August, September

Bloom colors

red, yellow

Wildlife value

pollinators, butterflies

Landscape uses

border

Native states

AZ, CA, CO, FL, ID, IL, MA, MN, MT, ND, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY