FFF112 - GAILLARDIA

Gaillardia, the blanket flowers, is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family, Asteraceae, native to North and South America. It was named after an M. Gaillard de Merentonneau or perhaps Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was a patron of botany. The common name may refer to the resemblance of the inflorescence to the brightly patterned blankets made by Native Americans, or to the ability of wild taxa to blanket the ground with colonies. Many cultivars have been bred for ornamental use.

These are annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs, sometimes with rhizomes. The stem is usually branching and erect to a maximum height around 80 cm. The leaves are alternately arranged. Some taxa have only basal leaves. They vary in shape. They are glandular in most species. The inflorescence is a solitary flower head. The head can have 15 or more ray florets, while some taxa lack any ray florets. They can be most any shade of yellow, orange, red, purplish, brown, white, or bicolored. They are sometimes rolled into a funnel shape. There are many tubular disc florets at the centre of the head in a similar range of colours, and usually tipped with hairs. The fruit usually has a pappus of scales.

The cultivar "Arizona Sun" illustrated here provides a blaze of summertime colour that thrives, whatever the weather! There is a constant display of large flower heads in fiery shades of orange, yellow and red. The cheery blooms persist well into autumn, and make spectacular cut flowers for an indoor display. This low maintenance, hardy perennial is trouble-free and even copes well on poor, dry soils. Perfect for containers or filling gaps at the front of sunny borders.

Join me for Floral Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below, and please leave a comment once you have done so!

FFF112

1.	My Desktop Daily	10.	ann nz	19.	beagleAnnie	28.	Sara Chapman #3
2.	Nick, Melbourne	11.	Bernie in Australia	20.	Xavi, Barcelona	29.	Moni
3.	NixPixMix	12.	Sara Chapman in Seattle USA	21.	Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn	30.	Christines Welt!
4.	Gunilla	13.	Sara Chapman #2	22.	Susan	31.	The Rosegarden in Malevik
5.	NatureFootstep Photo	14.	Mascha	23.	Leticia, Omaha NE	32.	Mona's Picturesque
6.	Ileana	15.	Zauberpalme	24.	Katie Allen	33.	Debbie at Travel with Intent
7.	Christian	16.	Andrea	25.	Shannon	34.	Al, California
8.	Jesh StG	17.	Jocee NZ	26.	Dawn	35.	Daniela's Flowers
9.	Passion Flowers	18.	Tina	27.	Scene by Minerva

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