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Indian Blanket-flower

Gaillardia pulchella

52
Strong

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 88%

Height
1–2 feet
Spread
10–12 inches
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Dry to average

Space about 1 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 100 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual or perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
No set bloom season
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Recorded in 26 Alabama counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

3CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Gaillardia

  • Homoeosoma electellaSunflower Moth
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Schinia binaBina Flower Moth
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
38BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Gaillardia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
9Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Gaillardia

  • Andrena melliventris
  • Diadasia enavata
  • Dianthidium curvatum
  • Megachile inimica
  • Megachile parallela
  • Megachile pugnata
  • Melissodes tristis
  • Perdita coreopsidis
  • Protandrena albitarsis
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Asteraceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–9b
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower color
Brown/copper, yellow, orange, purple or red
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Single crown
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “No set bloom season” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “Brown/copper, yellow, orange, purple or red” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth habit · “Single crown” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Hardiness · “Zones 5a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “1–2 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
  • Leaf retention · “Deciduous” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Life cycle · “Annual or perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Soil · “Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Soil pH · “Neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Spread · “10–12 inches” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as

Common Blanket Flower; Common Blanketflower; Fire Wheel; Firewheel; Indian Blanket; Indian Blanket flower

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG4G5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources