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Gaillardia aestivalis is often confused with:
Gaillardia pulchella Swallowtail butterfly
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Asclepias tuberosa Asclepias tuberosa
Baptisia tinctoria Baptisia tinctoria
Solidago chilensis Solidago odora in the fall in Moore County

Lance Leaf Blanket Flower Gaillardia aestivalis

Other Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
gay-LAR-dee-uh eh-stih-VAL-is
Description

Lanceleaf blanket flower is a perennial flower in the Asteraceae (daisy) family native to North Carolina.  With showy compound yellow flowers that reach up to 3 inches in diameter this erect perennial will grow quickly in upright clumps up to 1 foot wide and 18 inches tall.  

This perennial is easy to grow but fairly short lived.  Plant in full sun and regular, well-drained soil.  Once established it will also tolerate drought and dry soil.  The showy yellow flowers appear from late spring into the fall and are one of the best late season flowers that attract butterflies. It propagates quickly through its wind dispersed seeds so it will self seed in the garden.  

Use this native plant in a wildflower garden, the front of a perennial border, in a pollinator garden, cottage, or rock garden, and to tuck into small spaces where it can add bright dots of yellow blooms all growing season.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  No serious insect or disease problems though root rot can occur in poorly drained soils.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Pollinator Garden in Full Sun
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Burgundy'
    Deep red flowers
  • var. winkleri
    White flowers
  • var. winkleri 'Grape Sensation'
    Grape colored flowers and longer lived plant
'Burgundy', var. winkleri, var. winkleri 'Grape Sensation'
Tags:
#showy flowers#drought tolerant#fall flowers#red flowers#yellow flowers#native perennials#cottage garden#NC native#summer flowers#native garden#long bloom time#wind dispersed seeds#rock garden#cutting garden#pollinator plant#wildflower garden#flowers late spring#flowers midsummer#poor soils tolerant#gray-green leaves#flowers early summer#NC Native Pollinator Plant#flowers late summer#dry soils tolerant#butterfly friendly#flowers early fall#stormwater demo garden orange co#wet soils intolerant#wildlife friendly
 
Form, Wake Co. NC
Form, Wake Co. NC Cathy DeWitt CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Form
Form Roberto R. Calderón CC BY-NC 4.0
Flowers
Flowers Eleanor CC BY-NC 4.0
Flowers
Flowers Eleanor CC BY-NC 4.0
Varying flower stages, Wake Co. NC
Varying flower stages, Wake Co. NC Cathy DeWitt CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Fluffy seeds forming, fall. Wake Co. NC
Fluffy seeds forming, fall. Wake Co. NC Cathy DeWitt CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Stems and leaves
Stems and leaves Roberto R. Calderón CC BY-NC 4.0
Seeds
Seeds Sam Kieschnick CC BY-NC 4.0
'Grape Sensation' cultivar has purple flowers
'Grape Sensation' cultivar has purple flowers Debbie Roos CC BY 2.0
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Burgundy'
    Deep red flowers
  • var. winkleri
    White flowers
  • var. winkleri 'Grape Sensation'
    Grape colored flowers and longer lived plant
'Burgundy', var. winkleri, var. winkleri 'Grape Sensation'
Tags:
#showy flowers#drought tolerant#fall flowers#red flowers#yellow flowers#native perennials#cottage garden#NC native#summer flowers#native garden#long bloom time#wind dispersed seeds#rock garden#cutting garden#pollinator plant#wildflower garden#flowers late spring#flowers midsummer#poor soils tolerant#gray-green leaves#flowers early summer#NC Native Pollinator Plant#flowers late summer#dry soils tolerant#butterfly friendly#flowers early fall#stormwater demo garden orange co#wet soils intolerant#wildlife friendly
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Gaillardia
    Species:
    aestivalis
    Family:
    Asteraceae
    Life Cycle:
    Annual
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Southern and central U.S.A
    Distribution:
    AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, KS, LA, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TX
    Dimensions:
    Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
    Width: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Native Plant
    Perennial
    Wildflower
    Habit/Form:
    Clumping
    Erect
    Maintenance:
    Low
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Loam (Silt)
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Occasionally Dry
    Available Space To Plant:
    12 inches-3 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
  • Fruit:
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Fruit Type:
    Achene
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Width:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    Achenes 1/16" with tufts of white hairs, wind-dispersed
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Gold/Yellow
    Orange
    Red/Burgundy
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Head
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Good Cut
    Long Bloom Season
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Spring
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Radial
    Flower Petals:
    7 - 20 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    1-3 inches
    Flower Description:
    Yellow on the top orange brown underneath pinwheel ray flowers with 3 deeply cut lobed petals around a red-brown central cone of disk florets.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Gray/Silver
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Rough
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Elliptical
    Lanceolate
    Linear
    Spatulate
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Serrate
    Hairs Present:
    Yes
    Leaf Length:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Rosett of basal leaves. Lance, to elliptical, linear or spatulate shaped 2-4 inch long gray-green leaves with hairs on both sides. Margins entire or have a few teeth, larger leaves are lower on the stem.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Purple/Lavender
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    Erect
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Meadow
    Naturalized Area
    Landscape Theme:
    Cottage Garden
    Drought Tolerant Garden
    Native Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Rock Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Attracts:
    Butterflies
    Pollinators
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Drought
    Dry Soil
    Poor Soil