Gaillardia aristata Mesa Bright Bicolour

Gaillardia x aristata 'Mesa Bright Bicolour' is distinguished by the extremely vibrant colours of its flowers, which do not fade in the sun. They open abundantly, carried by sturdy stems on a well-branched plant. Intensely bicoloured, its golden daisies with ruby centres stand out from afar. They bring life to borders, rockeries, or flowerpots throughout the summer as few perennials can, even in poor soil. Like all Gaillardias, it is both hardy and robust, almost foolproof in the sun, in any well-drained garden soil. Maintenance consists of removing faded flowers as they appear to encourage reblooming.

The 'Mesa Bright Bicolour' Gaillardia is a horticultural selection derived from Gaillardia aristata, a perennial native to the great central and eastern plains of North America. It belongs to the large Asteraceae family, as evidenced by its flowers organized in capitula, like those of sunflowers and daisies. This variety 'Mesa Bright Bicolour' has inherited from its parent a beautiful hardiness and increased longevity. It quickly forms a clump 45 cm (18in) tall when in flower and 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24in) wide. The plant is composed of leafy, sturdy and branching stems, with each branch producing flowers. Flowering occurs from June to August.  It takes the form of large heads of flowers, 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4in) wide, where pollinating insects gather. They are perfectly bicoloured, gold-yellow towards the periphery, bright red towards the centre of the flower. The latter is a convex disk, gold-yellow when fully open, turning red to brown from the periphery towards the centre, at the same time as the seeds form. The foliage, mainly basal, consists of narrow, slightly lobed or deeply cut, light green and hairy leaves. The gaillardia is a deciduous plant, with above-ground growth emerging in spring and drying up in winter.

Gaillardias, along with coreopsis and Gaura, are among the champions of floral abundance and undemanding natures. Their only drawback is that they do not tolerate ambient humidity well, even in well-drained soil. In gardens in hotter southern regions, especially in poor soils, this plant is truly a blessing. Combine it with lavender, blood-red perennial geraniums, catmints, perennial salvias (Mainacht, Schneehügel,..), false indigos, and delphiniums for example. Its flowers hold up very well in bouquets.