Gaillardia aestivalis var. winkleri | Texas Native Plant Week

I have to admit, I’m a huge fan of Gaillardia. Commonly it is known as Indian blanket or fire wheel however, I like to refer to it by its genus. This genus is relatively hands off in regards to fussiness; plant it and it thrives. You may see the more commong Gaillardia pulchella or aristata and even aestivalis, but other varieties such as this one are more rare. This particular species is endemic to southeast Texas—only. Here are a couple of interesting links in regards to its history.

In our garden we, like always, had to fend off the deer and hope for the best. When the plants were finally established well they really took off, overtaking some of the adjacent vegetation. Blooms kept coming all summer long and it was a pollinator festival out there on the bloom—bees were all over it, especially mason bees!