Blanket Flower

Blanket flower, sold by many growers as gaillardia, is a sun-loving perennial with daisy-like blooms in red, orange and yellow. We ship bare-root blanket flower plants in packs of 25, 50, 100, 500 and 1000, for landscapers, garden centers, roadside and highway plantings, and anyone covering hot, dry ground in bulk.

Blanket Flower Size, Zones and Sun

Blanket flower stays compact, 1 to 3 feet high and 1 to 2 feet wide. Full sun is the rule, at least six hours, and it's hardy in zones 3 to 8. Put it in the driest, sunniest, gravelliest spot you have. Loam, sand or thin rocky soil all suit it, as long as water drains off.

Blanket Flower Blooms and Color

The flowers sit one to a stem, with petals that are yellow or yellow banded with red and purple around a reddish-purple center. Blooming runs from May to September. That is a long season, and it's the main reason growers reach for gaillardia. The flowers pull in bees and butterflies, and the seed heads feed birds.

Blanket Flower for Hot, Dry Sites

This plant grows well in heat and does fine on thin soil. It may want extra water in a long drought, but soggy ground is the real enemy, because poor drainage leads to root rot. If you've got a hot bank or a gravelly strip nothing else will cover, blanket flower is worth a look. Our post on low-maintenance summer color for hot, dry yards lists companions that take the same conditions.

Where to Plant Blanket Flower

Sunny borders, slopes, parking-lot islands, roadside strips and meadow plantings are all good fits. Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart. Our guide to using blanket flowers in the landscape has layout ideas.

Planting Blanket Flower Bare-root

Soak the roots for an hour, then plant with the crown at soil level. Firm the soil and water in. Water once or twice a week for the first month, then back off. Skip fertilizer, which pushes leafy growth at the expense of flowers.

Buying Blanket Flower in Bulk

A pack of 100 at 15-inch spacing covers about 150 square feet, and 500 handles a long roadside strip. We offer a 1000 pack for large commercial jobs.

Good to Know About Blanket Flower

The plant has a taproot and reseeds easily, which may be welcome or not. Powdery mildew and leaf spot show up in humid summers, so keep plants spaced for airflow. The fuzzy leaves and stems can irritate skin, so wear gloves when handling.

Caring for Blanket Flower

Deadhead spent blooms and the plant keeps flowering later into the season. Cut it back by about a third in midsummer if it gets leggy. Lean, well-drained soil keeps plants compact. Rich soil gives you more leaf than flower. In wet climates, a gritty mulch of gravel or sand near the crown helps it shed moisture.

Blanket Flower Plant Sizes, Packs and Shipping

Blanket flower plants ship bare-root in packs of 25, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. Volume pricing available. Browse more wholesale perennials for sale.