Indian Blanket
112 images Created 24 May 2015
Indian Blanket, Gaillardia pulchella
I can’t help having a favorite - Indian Blanket is that flower. Another name is Firewheel. Bright red with yellow tips, this member of the Aster family can cover large fields with stand-up-and-take-notice color. While there are many shades of Indian Blanket, I gravitate to the bight red ones, most common around Llano and Mason.
This annual is native in much of Texas and into the Rocky Mountains. It thrives on dry sandy or limestone soils, growing one to two and a half feet tall, with flowers up to two inches across. It makes a lasting cut flower, so it can be a popular choice among gardeners. Its profusion of pollen and acres of blooms makes the Indian Blanket a boon for honey bees.
Gaillardia suavis
Fragrant gaillardia, also called Pincushion daisy or Perfumeball, dispenses with ray flowers all together. Just a bright red brown core and plenty of sweet perfume is all that it needs to attract bees for pollination. The flowers form at the top of two foot bare stalks, leaving a pom pom waving in the spring breeze. It is a stark contrast to the red and yellow splendor of its cousin the Indian Blanket or Gaillardia pulchella.
I can’t help having a favorite - Indian Blanket is that flower. Another name is Firewheel. Bright red with yellow tips, this member of the Aster family can cover large fields with stand-up-and-take-notice color. While there are many shades of Indian Blanket, I gravitate to the bight red ones, most common around Llano and Mason.
This annual is native in much of Texas and into the Rocky Mountains. It thrives on dry sandy or limestone soils, growing one to two and a half feet tall, with flowers up to two inches across. It makes a lasting cut flower, so it can be a popular choice among gardeners. Its profusion of pollen and acres of blooms makes the Indian Blanket a boon for honey bees.
Gaillardia suavis
Fragrant gaillardia, also called Pincushion daisy or Perfumeball, dispenses with ray flowers all together. Just a bright red brown core and plenty of sweet perfume is all that it needs to attract bees for pollination. The flowers form at the top of two foot bare stalks, leaving a pom pom waving in the spring breeze. It is a stark contrast to the red and yellow splendor of its cousin the Indian Blanket or Gaillardia pulchella.
