Gaillardia, << gay LAHR dee uh, >> is a type of flower that looks like a daisy with a dark-colored disk and yellow or red rays. It is also called blanketflower and fire wheel. Most gaillardias are native to the central and western United States, but they are often raised elsewhere.
The head really consists of two kinds of flowers–the tubular flowers in the disk, and ray flowers with long petals. The plant may be an annual, a biennial, or a perennial. Some types grow 3 feet (91 centimeters) high. They grow from cuttings or from seeds, depending on the type, and thrive in sunny, open places.
Gaillardias produce many flowers from June to frost in autumn. Gaillardia aristata has a head that has yellow petals. The yellow rays of Gaillardia pulchella have bases of rose-purple. Other types of gaillardias have canary-yellow petals, and bright crimson or rich maroon disks.
