Do blanket flowers spread quickly?
Blanket flower, also known as gaillardia, is an easy-to-grow, short-lived wildflower with richly colored, daisy-like blooms. These fast-growing plants mature to 24 inches tall with a 20-inch spread. Blanket Flower is an impressive and beautiful Native flower that grows 12 to 30 inches tall and thrives in heat. It blooms from mid-summer until frost and is an astounding cut flower, with dense brilliant red flowers with yellow rims.Warm-climate gardeners can also plant perennial blanket flowers by seed in fall.The short-lived perennial blanket flower (Gaillardia grandiflora) tends to reseed prolifically. There are several schools of thought about preparing blanket flower for winter. Some gardeners feel pruning blanket flower plants back and mulching is the way to go. Others do not prune, but deadhead, and do not mulch.Blanket flowers can be propagated by seed, division, or cuttings. To divide, dig up the plant in early spring or fall and separate the root clump into smaller sections, each with a few healthy shoots. Replant the divisions immediately.
Does blanket flower come back each year?
Blanket flowers are a beautiful short-lived perennial, meaning they will die off after a few years. But they readily self-seed, so they will keep growing back in the same area. They’re perfect for wildflower and cottage gardens. Combine blanket flower with ornamental grasses, and intersperse with gray- or blue-foliaged plants to tone down the hot colors of the blanket flowers. They can be stunning when planted with blue or purple flowering plants. Their texture contrasts nicely with strappy daylily foliage or the very fine foliage of yarrow.