Plant of the Month: May, 2000

by Russell Stevens

Indian Blanket
Gaillardia pulchella

Characteristics: Indian blanket, the state wildflower of Oklahoma, is a warm-season annual native forb that may grow to two feet. It is common along roadsides, in prairies, and on a variety of sites but prefers sandy soils. It grows upright and usually has multibranched hairy stems. The leaves are short-stalked with entire to coarsely toothed or lobed margins (edges). Ray flowers usually have reddish bases and orange to yellow tips. Sometimes the distinctive tip colors are absent. Disk flowers are dark red-brown. The plants can grow in dense stands and, when in bloom, form a blanket of red to reddish-purple and yellow. Indian blanket blooms in late spring or early summer and is commonly called firewheel.

Area of Importance: Throughout most of Oklahoma and Texas.

Attributes: Indian blanket is one of the showiest wildflowers in Oklahoma and Texas. It is used extensively in wildflower plantings by highway departments and wildflower enthusiasts. Goats and cattle probably eat Indian blanket, but that practice is not well documented. To allow seeds to mature for plant propagation, don't mow Indian blanket until after the leaves turn brown.

I.D. Tip: Indian blanket can be readily identified by its striking flower color, especially when plants bloom in dense colonies. Its hairy stems and sometimes-hairy leaves are another clue to look for.

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Hundreds of plants are identified in the Noble Foundation Plant Image Gallery.