Gaillardia aristata Amber Wheels

The Gaillardia aristata 'Amber Wheels' is a new variety of gaillardia selected for its longevity and its bicolour flowering that is both generous and cheerful. From June to October, drawing resources even from the poorest soils, it offers the endless spectacle of its daisy-like flowers fringed with amber-yellow and red centres. It quickly forms beautiful semi-evergreen clumps of grey-green foliage that withstand cold, heat, and drought.  Almost fail-proof, gaillardias are plants accustomed to very harsh living conditions: they find their place in all gardens, regardless of their style!

Gaillardia aristata is a short-lived perennial plant native to the sunny and dry plains of the western and central United States. Anglophones affectionately call it the 'blanket flower'. Indeed, its colours resemble the patterns and colours of Indigenous North American weaving. Like the sunflower, it belongs to the large family of asteraceae. The 'Amber Wheels' variety, recently selected in the USA, has inherited from its parent increased hardiness and longevity. However, it is more floriferous than the wild species and offers larger flowers, undoubtedly inherited from a Gaillardia x grandiflora.

The plant forms a clump of leafy stems with an upright habit, reaching 75 cm (30in) in height when flowering and 40 cm (16in) in width within 2 years. It produces numerous inflorescences from summer to autumn in large solitary heads, 4 to 6 cm (2in) wide, where pollinating insects gather. Each head is composed of a double row of ligulate florets fringed with dark yellow and red at the base, surrounding a large rounded centre composed of tiny fertile florets in red on the periphery and amber at the heart. This flowering brings joy to bees and butterflies, and then to birds when they make way for mature seeds. The foliage, mainly basal, is composed of narrow, aromatic, slightly lobed or deeply cut leaves, with a greyish-green color, covered in down.

Somewhat outdated today, gaillardias, along with coreopsis grandiflora and other Gaura, are among the champions of floral abundance. Even the wild form G. aristata proves to be very floriferous. Their only drawback is that they do not tolerate ambient humidity well, even in well-drained soil. In gardens in the southern half of Europe, especially in poor soils, this plant is truly a blessing: it will accompany lavenders, blood-red or ash-colored perennial geraniums, artemisias, and grasses, which are equally undemanding and floriferous plants. Elsewhere, it is best to provide it with a well-ventilated location and well-drained soil, such as the top of a raised bed, a space between rocks in a rock garden, or a well-draining slope. The gaillardia, although not the champion of longevity, self-sows abundantly in light soils. It brings the spirit of wide open spaces to the garden and fills the space with contagious cheerfulness. Its faded flowers around a large heart where a glow of embers smoulders remain decorative for a long time.