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Red & gold
Perennial wildflower

Blanketflower

Gaillardia aristata

Fiery red-and-gold wheels that bloom nonstop all summer on hot, dry, sandy ground.

the Great Plainsthe Mountain Westthe Great Basinthe desert Southwestthe Pacific Northwest

Growing Blanketflower

One of the longest-blooming natives anywhere, asking only for sun and drainage. Short-lived but reseeds to keep the color coming. It’s deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, long-blooming, showy, and a good cut flower.

Where it grows

Blanketflower is native to the Great Plains. In the wild you’ll find it across Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Idaho · Illinois · Iowa · Kansas · Minnesota · Missouri and 12 more states. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.

Regional Garden shows Blanketflower on 22 state pages.

Good for

Sourcing

Where to buy Blanketflower

Seeds & live plants on Amazon

Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.

Browse on Amazon

Some links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.

Plant it with

Companions & kin.

Natives that share Blanketflower’s range and conditions.

Perennial wildflower

Common Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

A near-continental native with flat flower heads that feed tiny beneficial insects, tough as a weed.

  • Full sun
  • Dry–average
  • 1.5–3 ft
  • Blooms May–Aug
Perennial wildflower

Showy Milkweed

Asclepias speciosa

The West's monarch milkweed — bolder, fuzzier, and more drought-hardy than its eastern cousins.

  • Full sun
  • Dry–average
  • 2–4 ft
  • Blooms Jun–Jul
Perennial wildflower

Chocolate Flower

Berlandiera lyrata

Yellow daisies that genuinely smell of chocolate each morning — and bloom all summer in heat.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 1–2 ft
  • Blooms May–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Aromatic Aster

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

A drought-proof, mounding aster that closes the pollinator season with sheets of blue.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 1.5–2.5 ft
  • Blooms Sep–Nov