# great blanketflower (*Gaillardia aristata*) The great blanketflower is a bright and cheerful flower that loves to bloom in sunny places. Its colorful petals can be red, orange, or yellow, making gardens and fields look beautiful! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![great blanketflower](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Gaillardia_July_2011-2.jpg&width=800) Photo: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gaillardia_July_2011-2.jpg) ## Appearance The great blanketflower has large, daisy-like blooms with vibrant petals often in shades of red, orange, and yellow, frequently bicolored with darker centers. Its petals have distinctive jagged, toothed tips, encircling a prominent reddish-brown central cone. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Gaillardia ## Interesting facts - Great blanketflower is a vibrant wildflower native to prairies and open fields across North America! - Its scientific name, Gaillardia, honors a kind French magistrate who loved botany! - Native Americans traditionally used parts of this plant for various medicinal purposes! - This colorful bloom belongs to the huge Aster family, just like sunflowers and daisies! ## Special abilities - **Drought Warrior:** Great blanketflower can thrive in dry conditions due to its efficient water usage and ability to grow in sandy soils. - **Nectar Beacon:** This flower has bright, contrasting colors and abundant nectar, making it an irresistible target for many hungry insects. - **Extended Bloomer:** Gaillardia aristata can bloom continuously for many months, providing a reliable food source for pollinators throughout summer. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-75 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 5-10 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen, aiding in reproduction. - **Pollinates:** [Monarch Butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Feeds on nectar, helping to spread pollen between flowers. - **Eaten by:** [American Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-goldfinch) (*Spinus tristis*) — Consumes the mature seeds, sometimes aiding in dispersal. - **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — Visits flowers for nectar, contributing to the plant's pollination. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch flowers unless you know they are safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify great blanketflower? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is great blanketflower? 30-75 cm ### How wide does great blanketflower spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on great blanketflower? 5-10 cm ### When does great blanketflower bloom? Late spring to fall ### Is great blanketflower edible? No ### Is great blanketflower toxic? None ### What is great blanketflower's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Dinosaur Ridge](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dinosaur-ridge) — Colorado, US · Natural Landmark - [Belly River Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/belly-river-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [Fort George Wright](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-george-wright) — Washington, US · Historic Site - [Gold Hill](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gold-hill) — Colorado, US · Neighborhood - [Nine Mile Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/nine-mile-dam) — Washington, US · Historic Site - [St. Mary Utility Area Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/st-mary-utility-area-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District [View all places to see great blanketflower](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/great-blanketflower) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Great Blanketflower: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-blanketflower)