Gaillardia aristata

Gaillardia aristata

This is a perennial member of the daisy family (Asteraceae) and is prairie native from Canada and the western USA. A rather floppy plant, its stems can be up to 75 cm in length: it needs to be staked. From mid-spring and into summer, it bears large, golden-yellow daisy blooms. It benefits from regular deadheading to prolong flowering. It grows best in a sunny, very well-drained position. It should be cut back hard after flowering. It looks effective growing with bright blue Salvia specimens, other members of the Asteraceae family, or (as shown above) with a gold-leafed plant such as Sedum mexicanum. Gaillardia aristata is one of the parents of the more popular Gaillardia x grandiflora hybrids. The plants should be replaced by cuttings every few years as they tend to exhaust themselves. These flowers attract beneficial insects. They are useful for cuttings for vases.

Postscript: this plant faded away in my garden; I should like to try it again one day as I enjoyed its cheerful blooms.