Blanket Flower, Red dome blanketflower
Gaillardia pinnatifida
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae
What it is like
Gaillardia pinnatifida is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.4 m (1ft 4in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in flower from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.4
Where it is found
Open grasslands.
Southern N. America.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
The dried seeds can be ground into a powder then kneaded into seed butter and spread on bread.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The plant is used as a diuretic, taken to give relief from painful urination. An infusion of the leaves is taken internally, and a poultice applied externally, in the treatment of gout.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Requires a position in full sun, succeeding in any moderately fertile well-drained soil. Performs well in poor soils and copes well with hot dry conditions. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. Some winter protection, especially in areas experiencing heavy snows, is recommended. Covering the plants with brush wood should be enough. Plants are so prolific and long blooming that they often exhaust themselves and are then short-lived. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division, with care. Root cuttings in the winter.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 7-10
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist