Blanket flower (Gaillardia 'Arizona Apricot')
Brilliant Gaillardia 'Arizona Apricot' Blanket flower features showy, soft orange and yellow bicolor blooms from summer to fall.
Scroll down to discover growing tips, care requirements, companion plants, and more
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ is a stunning herbaceous perennial celebrated for its long bloom time and vibrant, painterly flowers. This specific cultivar, commonly known as Blanket flower, provides reliable season-long color, flourishing where many other plants might struggle. Its mounding habit and tolerance for tough conditions make it a cornerstone for xeriscape and cottage garden designs alike.
Blooms are approximately 3” wide, displaying a lovely soft orange shade blushed with golden yellow tips, creating a warm visual centerpiece. Native Gaillardia species thrive in open, sunny prairie environments, and Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ carries that rugged disposition, rewarding gardeners with minimal effort. It’s an excellent choice for gardeners seeking maximum visual impact with low overall maintenance requirements.
If you are looking to establish drought-tolerant perennial borders or simply need reliable summer color, the Blanket flower offers a robust solution. Its upright yet compact form fits well in mixed plantings, ensuring that the garden remains cheerful from early summer straight through to the first frost.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Asteraceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 4-10
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 0.75-1 ft
- Spread: 0.75-1 ft
- Bloom Time: June to September
- Bloom Description: Soft orange and yellow bicolor
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Dry to medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
Planting Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ thrives best in full sun exposure, which is non-negotiable for achieving prolific blooms. While they prefer organically rich, moist, well-drained soil, these tough plants readily tolerate poorer soils and established plants handle serious drought well. Plant during the spring or early fall, ensuring the established root zone is not overly restricted.
Once established, watering requirements are minimal; allow the soil to dry slightly between irrigation cycles, especially throughout the heat of summer. Fertilizing is rarely necessary, as overly rich soil can sometimes decrease flower production or weaken stems. If growth becomes overly leggy during the mid-season slump, a rejuvenation cut, shearing back to the basal foliage, will encourage fresh blooms.
Good soil drainage is critical; root rot is a primary concern if they sit in saturated conditions, particularly during heavy summer rains. Always remove spent flowers (deadheading) consistently to keep the Blanket flower tidy and signal the plant to produce more developing buds. This simple maintenance step significantly extends the impressive bloom season of Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’.
Landscape Uses
The compact stature of Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’, reaching only about one foot high, makes it incredibly versatile in landscape planning. It performs beautifully when mass-planted in perennial borders, providing a continuous flow of warm color lining pathways or anchoring taller background specimens. Because it tolerates heat and dry conditions, it is an ideal candidate for sunny cottage gardens that feature other drought-tolerant companions like Sedum or Rudbeckia.
These plants also excel as excellent additions to cutting gardens, providing cheerful, long-lasting material for summer arrangements. Furthermore, their low profile and tolerance for containers mean they look fantastic spilling over the edges of large patio pots, adding reliable, colorful accents near seating areas. The vibrant flowers also serve as a magnet for beneficial insects, making this Blanket flower an excellent addition to any dedicated butterfly garden.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
- Good Cut
Noteworthy Characteristics
Gaillardia is a genus of about 30 species of annuals, perennials and biennials found in West, Central and South America, often inhabiting open sunny prairies and hillsides. ‘Arizona Apricot’ specifically features 3” wide blooms held atop a mounding clump of foliage from early summer into fall. The resulting flowers display a beautiful combination of soft orange petals transitioning into golden yellow tips, highly valued for their brightness.
Tolerances
- Drought
Potential Problems
The primary threat to Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ relates to excess moisture; root rot can easily develop if the plant is sited in poorly drained soil, especially following extended summer downpours. Fungal issues such as powdery mildew and fungal leaf spot can occur, particularly when air circulation is poor. Cultivars can also be susceptible to the systemic disease aster yellows, characterized by distorted, greenish flowers. Regular scouting for aphids and leafminers is also recommended, though chemical intervention is often unnecessary given the plant’s tough nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Blanket flower suitable for?
Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ is robust enough to thrive across a wide range, typically suited for USDA Zones 4 through 10.
How large does Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ grow?
This cultivar maintains a neat habit, maturing to a height between 0.75 and 1 foot tall, with a similar spread of 0.75 to 1 foot wide.
When does Blanket flower bloom?
The showy blooms appear profusely from June through September, offering consistent color throughout the peak summer months with soft orange and yellow bicolor tones.
What sun exposure does Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ need?
For the best performance and season-long flowering, you must provide this Blanket flower cultivar with full sun conditions daily.
Companion Planting
Because Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ is highly tolerant of dry conditions once established, it pairs excellently with other sun-loving, drought-resistant companions. Consider planting it alongside silver-leafed herbs like Lavender or Artemisia, whose muted tones contrast beautifully with the Blanket flower’s vibrant warm colors. Plants that prefer less water, such as various Sedum species or low-growing Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), create successful tapestry plantings in full sun borders. Avoid mixing them with moisture-hungry perennials, as the Blanket flower will suffer if forced into consistently damp soil.
Wildlife Benefits
The bright, accessible flower heads of Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ are invaluable for attracting pollinators to the garden landscape. The Asteraceae family flowers produce plentiful, easily accessible nectar and pollen, making them a favorite stop for various beneficial bees and butterflies throughout the summer. By incorporating this reliable native, you actively improve local biodiversity, ensuring your sunny borders are buzzing with beneficial activity. Planting this Blanket flower also supports the local ecological niche.
Conclusion
The Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ Blanket flower is a highly dependable, low-maintenance performer, delivering brilliant, long-lasting summer color even under dry, hot conditions. Its compact size and stunning soft orange and yellow blooms solidify its status as a favorite for modern, sustainable garden designs. Before planting, confirm that your location provides the necessary full sun exposure and well-drained soil to allow this excellent perennial to thrive.
