Blanketflower (Gaillardia sp.) is a showy perennial native to our area, but also planted into home gardens.    The native perennial is Gaillardia aristata which grows from a tap root, has several unbranched stems, lance-shaped leaves, and flowers in summer with a reddish disk and yellow ray flowers.    It flowers into fall, then produces seeds.

Most home gardens plant a hybrid Gaillardia grandiflora with its vibrant colors.

There are also annual blanketflowers, mostly Gaillardia pulchella.   All blanketflowers prefer sunny locations.  They have a long blooming period and are easy to care for.   

To keep blanketflowers in the gardens, either scatter the seed, or harvest some seed and make sure it receives stratification.    We simply dig a shallow trench in fall and plant the seed allowing the cold winter snows and the spring melt to start the seeds in spring.    We move the plants into place in late spring each year.

Shared here are some photos of Gaillardia sp. in bloom in our home garden.