Gaillardia – A Wildflower Journal

Gaillardia – A Wildflower Journal

Doug Smith  January 15, 2024 at 9:00 am

Gallardia aristata is sometimes called common gaillardia, blanketflower,  or brown-eyed Susan.     It is a perennial in the sunflower family.

  • Gallardia grows from a long narrow taproot.
  • Several hairy unbranched stems grow to 20 to 50 (it can reach up to 70 cm).
  • Leaves are lance-shaped and hairy.
  • Basal leaves are unlobed and stem leaves are toothed/lobed.
  • Solitary or sometimes small clusters of composite hairy flowers grow on long stems.
  • About 12 brownish-red disk florets are surrounded by yellow-reddish fringe florets.
  • We can see the first blooms in spring and continue into summer.
  • All photos by the author.    Click an image for a lightbox view.

 

 

  • After flowering achenes form with a long, sharp pappus.
  • Seeds are dispersed by the winds over the summer and fall.
  • Gaillardia are pollinated by various types of bees and other insects who are attracted to the bright and colorful flowers.
  • Gallardia grows in in dry, open spaces in our area.
  • Gallardia is a popular cultivar in the garden.    A few images from our garden are shared here:

 

 

 

 

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Doug Smith

Doug writes for Kamloops Trails, a not-for-profit (and ad free) website, offering information on trails, waterways, routes, featured spots, viewpoints, and explorations in the outdoors in the Kamloops area (and beyond).

Doug started exploring this area in 1976 and continues to follow tracks and routes wherever they lead, with the aid of map, compass, GPSr and camera. After many dead-ends, but also many discoveries, he chose to share this information.

The Kamloops Trails website has a massive number of interesting posts and would be of interest to anyone in Kamloops who enjoys the outdoors. Visit the Kamloops Trails website at: http://www.kamloopstrails.ca/

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