Top Photo: Summer’s Kiss. Below: Top to Bottom; Fanfare, Oranges and Lemons, and Arizona Sun.

Keeping up with the Florida heat can be challenging, fortunately the Gaillardia, aka the Indian Blanket has no trouble keeping up with what many of us consider intolerable.

Nicknamed after the brightly patterned blankets made by Native Americans, the Gaillardia is a spreading daisy like flower which covers a one foot spread, making them great for hiding an unsightly spot in your yard, or adding a colorful blanket effect to your garden.

How to Care

  • Choose a spot that gets full sun, with well-drained soil
  • Make sure to plant the flowers at least 15-18 inches apart, allowing for spread
  • Sew seed into garden in the early spring to early summer.
  • Dead-head the flowers to keep them lasting from mid June until the first frost

Popular Varieties

Orange and Lemon Orange tipped, yellow flowers which grow full “blankets” sometimes reaching to over 70 flowers per plant.
Arizona Sun A huge version of Gaillardia, this flower’s bloom reaches 3-4 inches wide
Fanfare Perfect for containers as the unique blooms produce stunning red tubular petals.
Summer Kiss The Summers Kiss Gaillardia boasts a creamy color combination of apricot, gold and sherbert orange.

 

Gaillardias are perfect for Florida’s seacoast, they can grow in light sands, are heat and salt tolerant and require little maintenance!