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Native Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Gaillardia aristata (Common gaillardia)
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Gaillardia aristata Pursh

Common gaillardia, Great blanketflower, Blanketflower, Brown-eyed susan

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

USDA Symbol: gaar

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Great blanket-flower is an erect, 2-4 ft. plant, with clasping, dandelion-like leaves. The inch-long petals have yellow, 3-toothed tips and dark red bases. These surround disk flowers which are the same color as the base of the petals. Tufts of hairs project from the seed-like fruits and the entire plant is covered with fuzzy hairs.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf: Green
Fruit:
Size Class: 3-6 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Yellow
Bloom Time: Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , CO , CT , ID , IL , MA , MI , MN , MT , ND , NH , NM , NY , OR , SD , UT , WA , WI , WY
Canada: AB , BC , MB , NT , SK
Native Distribution: B.C. to Sask., s. to n. OR (mostly e. of the Cascades), n. UT, CO & KS; also reported in CA
Native Habitat: Plains; prairies; meadows
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil pH: Acidic (pH<6.8)
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Well-drained, infertile soil.

Benefit

Warning: The plants fuzzy hairs can cause a skin irritation in some susceptible people.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Butterflies

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Propagated by seed, root division or separation of offsets. Plant untreated seed in spring or fall. Germination is extremely variable. Plants may flower by the end of the first season. Make root divisions in early spring, dividing the tap root vertica
Seed Collection: Not Available
Seed Treatment: Seed treatment does not improve germination.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally

Search More Titles in Bibliography

From the Archive

Wildflower Newsletter 1990 VOL. 7, NO.4 - Research Update, Wild-Collecting Endangers Natives, Director's Report, Maryland ...

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Gaillardia aristata in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Gaillardia aristata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Gaillardia aristata

Metadata

Record Modified: 2010-03-08
Research By: TWC Staff

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