Plant of the Month

Common Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata)

Identification

The common blanketflower grows up to 2 ft in height from a slender taproot. The leaves are hairy and lance shaped with an edge that varies from smooth, toothed, or lobed. The flowers have purple or reddish centers (disk flowers) with yellow petals (ray flowers).

Growing Range and Cultivation

Grows throughout the Pacific Northwest in full sun and moist to dry soil. Once established, this plant will readily seed the surrounding ground.

Fun facts

• The blanketflower is a great food source for pollinators. Our native bees especially love it (see photo).
• This flower gets its name from looking like the patterns on Native American blankets.
• It can withstand drought conditions making it a low water and more environmentally friendly plant.
• It is deer resistant due to its furry and unpalatable leaves.

Resources

The information from this page is sourced from:

• The Encyclopedia of Northwest Native Plants for Gardens and Landscapes by Kathleen A Robson, Alice Richter, and Marianne Filbert
• https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_gaar.pdf