Who Knew.
When you go to college, they teach you a lot of by the book knowledge that may or may not be useful in the field. This is not just my opinion but the opinion of most college students and even professors. Specifically in my degree course (Environmental Horticulture) we learned many (many) plants and had to memorize and spell their names correctly, including their botanical name in Latin and their common name.
Come to find out, many people in the industry use many different common names and most do not know botanical names. On top of that, many of the plants we learned are pretty hard to find in the normal wholesale nursery. Gaillardia is my biggest example and most recent challenge.
Where’s Waldo. 
I had a project in which there was no irrigation but the client loved flowers and mentioned natives. My first thought was Gaillardia x grandiflora. It’s also know as the Blanket Flower or Indian Flower. It’s apart of the Sunflower family, Asteraceae, native to parts of North and South America, specifically, Florida.
I put this plant in the design thinking it would be extremely easy to find, since after all, I did spot it at my local fruit stand while grocery shopping.
Needle in a Hay Stack.
I was sadly mistaken. I called all over the place and most nurseries I spoke with had never even heard of this plant! I was very surprised that most nurseries did not know what I considered to be a common Florida native that was a great perennial for the area. Eventually, yes, I did find the plant after extensive searching but now I’m on a mission to give it a come back!
Sunny Disposition.
Gaillardia LOVES full sun and is drought tolerant after it’s established. It blooms most of the year and does not NEED deadheading, although a light trim from time to time can help produce more flowers.
There’s many new hybrids (that are not native) consisting of different color combinations (red, yellow, orange) and growth attributes (dwarf to larger sizes) but all are great in ground or in containers.
If low maintenance is the game, this plant is a winner! Gaillardia has few insect or disease problems but can include leaf hoppers, aphids, and snails. Being out in full sun with adequate air flow helps keeps pests and diseases at a minimum.
Make sure not to over water as Gaillardia love poorer quality, sandy, well draining, neutral pH soils, which is why is does so great in most Florida areas.
Gaillardia can go dormant in the winter depending how cold it gets but will return in the spring in zones 5-9.
It attract birds, as well as butterflies year round and is a great addition to any garden.
History in the Making.
Check out National Garden Bureau Inc.’s article on Gaillardia, calling 2015 the Year of Gaillardia.
http://ngb.org/year_of/index.cfm?YOID=40
There’s information on the history, other varieties, and some great photographs of different varieties of Gaillardia.
It’s Not Fair.
I’m going to be 100% honest with you. As a small company in need of usually just a few of something, it’s extremely difficult to get ahold of some of these rare and unusual varieties of plants, like the Gaillardia variety shown to the left. Many times larger companies that sell these seeds or liners require a minimum order per plant variety and sometimes even color. Many box stores haven’t caught on to these new varieties or don’t think they’re marketable and the same with wholesale nurseries. Demand creates more supply and there’s not a huge outcry for these cool varieties. Although many can be grown from seed or division, they’re just not that common. We make every attempt to find specific varieties you may be looking for but we are more likely to have success with the general and common varieties like common grandiflora, goblin, mesa series, and Arizona series.
Homegrown Gaillardia.
If you are interested in adding this wonderful perennial to your garden, give us a call (813) 763-5082!
Homegrown Landscapes LLC 