Gaillardia Arizona Red Shades Seeds

The Gaillardia x Grandiflora 'Arizona Red Shades' is a dwarf variety recently obtained. It warms up any bed with its superb brick-red to burgundy flowering, speckled with gold, with its amber heart surrounded by garnet becoming almost black when ripe.

The Gaillardia or blanket flower is an Asteraceae that grows in large clumps in sunny and dry meadows in North America. It is a perennial highly appreciated for its warm colors, its frugality and its very long flowering period from late spring to early autumn. It is affectionately called 'blanket flower' by English speakers. Indeed, its colors resemble the patterns and colors of Indian tapestries.

It has a very proud habit and can reach 60 to 70 cm (27.6 in) in height depending on the varieties and 25 in width. The numerous stems bear a solitary flower that resembles a daisy with warm colors. The central tubular ligules, imperceptibly hairy, take on shades of brown ochre, red or amber. The florets forming the simple to double collar are scarlet at the base and saffron yellow at the tips, where they form two or several well-marked lobes. The ligules, very irregularly placed, give the flower a slightly disheveled appearance. Depending on the varieties of Gaillardia, the proportion of yellow, red, and orange varies and reflects a dominant specific color that you can appreciate from June to September. The foliage is deciduous, lanceolate, and pubescent, often taking on a green-grayish hue.

The Gaillardia grandiflora resulting from a hybridization between Gaillardia aristata and pulchella reveals exceptional large-sized flowers. The Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Arizona Red Shades' offers flowers with a diameter of 11 to 12 cm. The color of the outer florets oscillates between brick red and the deepest burgundy. The central disc is adorned with amber yellow and deep garnet which becomes almost black when the flower matures.

This variety reaches a height of 30 cm and is more suitable as a ground cover in a border bed or in mixed borders. It is true that for many, aristata rhymes with a natural garden or a Catalan-inspired garden. For others, it is an integral part of a bee-friendly garden capable of attracting pollinators and butterflies. It is unanimous that it brightens up all parts of the garden with its highly colorful manners.

In a meadow, associate Leucanthemum or white Scabiosa with your Gaillardias. Gaillardia likes light, well-drained, and rich soils. It is not afraid of drought or heat, so don't hesitate to plant it in full sun. As it self-seeds abundantly, be sure to remove faded flowers to stimulate new blooms and to prevent it from taking too much space. However, even when faded, with such a big heart, it retains undeniable ornamental interest.