Introduction

'Red Plume' gaillardia grows 6 to 12 inches tall. Deep red, fluffy flowers emerge in the heat of the summer and stand well above the simple or lobed foliage. These showy flowers are attractive to butterflies and command attention in the landscape.

General Information

Scientific name: Gaillardia pulchella 'Red Plume'

Pronunciation: gay-LAR-dee-uh pul-KEL-luh

Common name(s): 'Red Plume' gaillardia, 'Red Plume' blanket flower

Family: Compositae

Plant type: annual; perennial; herbaceous

USDA hardiness zones: 3 through 11 (Figure 1)

Planting month for zone 7: May; Jun

Planting month for zone 8: Apr; May

Planting month for zone 9: Mar

Planting month for zone 10 and 11: Mar

Origin: not native to North America

Uses: container or above-ground planter; cut flowers; accent; mass planting; ground cover; attracts butterflies; small parking lot islands (< 100 square feet in size); medium-sized parking lot islands (100-200 square feet in size); large parking lot islands (> 200 square feet in size)

Availability: generally available in many areas within its hardiness range

Description

Height: 1 to 2 feet

Spread: 2 to 3 feet

Plant habit: spreading

Plant density: open

Growth rate: moderate

Texture: medium

Foliage

Leaf arrangement: basal rosette

Leaf type: simple

Leaf margin: lobed; serrate

Leaf shape: oblanceolate; spatulate

Leaf venation: pinnate

Leaf type and persistence: semi-evergreen

Leaf blade length: 4 to 8 inches

Leaf color: green

Fall color: not applicable

Fall characteristic: not applicable

Flower

Flower color: red

Flower characteristic: summer flowering; fall flowering

Fruit

Fruit shape: unknown

Fruit length: unknown

Fruit cover: unknown

Fruit color: unknown

Fruit characteristic: inconspicuous and not showy

Trunk and Branches

Trunk/bark/branches: not applicable

Current year stem/twig color: not applicable

Current year stem/twig thickness: not applicable

Culture

Light requirement: plant grows in full sun

Soil tolerances: acidic; alkaline; sand; loam

Drought tolerance: high

Soil salt tolerances: good

Plant spacing: 12 to 18 inches

Other

Roots: not applicable

Winter interest: no special winter interest

Outstanding plant: plant has outstanding ornamental features and could be planted more

Invasive potential: may self-seed each year

Pest resistance: no serious pests are normally seen on the plant

Use and Management

Gaillardia flowers are perfect for the cutting garden, and the plants can be massed in the landscape for a lovely effect. The small size makes it well suited for a ground cover. Gaillardia does well in heat and humidity and is perfectly suited to coastal gardens.

Plant the blanket flowers in full sun on well-drained soils. Shady areas or overly moist soils will cause gaillardia to rot. These plants are both drought and salt tolerant.

Pests and Diseases

Sweet potato whitefly can be a problem.