If you are a fan of perennial flowers, the blanket flower is one of the most popular ones. This flower comes with very vibrant colors and heavy petals. Currently, there are around 25-30 species of blanket flowers.
The reason why this Gaillardia spp becomes everyone's favorite is because of its ability to cover the ground with a blanket of color. If you love some colors that pop in your garden, this flower is one of the top choices you should include during your planting seasons.
The blanket flower is also known as Gaillardia x grandiflora. It is part of the Asteraceae family and is a type of perennial flower with its vibrant-looking flowers. This flower is native to the southeastern US, which is spread around Colorado and south into Mexico. This flower is slightly toxic to humans, but it is still safe to be kept as a home plant.
This flower thrives well in sunny and warm areas with dry weather. Typical habitats that make the blanket flower grow well are around meadows, prairies, mountain foothills, and also the disturbed sites across America.
Interestingly, this plant is very resilient in that it can tolerate poor soil quality, making it perfect to grow around areas with rare rainfall. Besides, rocky, chalky, and sandy soils are also possible to grow this plant. However, it needs more care, such as a good drainage system, so the roots will not rot.
In terms of climate, the blanket flower is a typical hardy flower that thrives in zones 3-10, which can survive summers and cold winters.
The blanket flower can grow up to 90 cm. However, most cultivars can reach between 30 and 45 cm with gray-green foliage, a lance-shaped and hairy look.
The flower shape itself can reach up to 7 cm and is mostly available in warm colors such as festive shades, wine red, orange, peach, or even yellow. Sometimes, when it blooms, the flower comes in combinations of orange and red. The petal has a tubular shape, making it look unique as a perennial flower.
Speaking about the fragrance, the blanket flowers have a more subtle scent and are not too overpowering. You may need to sniff the flower to understand its fragrance type. In general, it has a distinctive lemon or spicy scent.
Due to its unique colors and scent, it is not a surprise that the flower often attracts pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
The blanket flowers have different philosophies and symbolism in many cultures. Besides, it depends on the personal relationship with the flower. However, due to its characteristics in natural habitat and how the flower grows, people start to associate the flower with the following meanings:
Another meaning that is common about this flower is that it is often associated with feelings, such as:
Even though these flowers mostly grow in the wild, it doesn't mean the blanket flowers are not perfect as a houseplant. The floor is great with very low maintenance, and once it is blooming, it will bloom for a long period of time. Besides, this flower is drought tolerant, making it great as an addition to areas with water restrictions. You can also combine this flower with other companions such as salvia, sedum, coreopsis, russian sage, or ornamental grasses. They will add perfect addition to your garden.
Tips to grow blanket flower:
So, that is all about the blanket flowers. This flower is probably one of the easiest ones to plant and care for. For those who love flowers but have not much time to do gardening, the blanket flower is always perfect. You can combine the flower with typical characteristics like we mentioned earlier to spice up your garden.
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