Gaillardia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Gaillardia

Common Gaillardia (Gaillardia aristata)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Gaillardia

Gaillardia, also known as the Blanket Flower, is a type of plant that can handle dry weather. These beautiful flowers belong to the sunflower family (Asteraceae). You can find them growing naturally in North America.

The plant got its name from M. Gaillard de Charentonneau. He was a French person from the 1700s who loved studying plants. People call it "Blanket Flower" because its colorful blooms look a lot like the bright blankets made by Native Americans.

What Does the Blanket Flower Look Like?
Symbolism and Meaning
Images for kids
See also

What Does the Blanket Flower Look Like?

Blanket flowers can be either annual or perennial plants. This means some live for just one year, while others come back year after year. They are usually herbs or small shrubs. Sometimes, they have underground stems called rhizomes.

Stems and Leaves

The main stem of the plant usually branches out. It stands upright and can grow up to about 80 centimeters (about 31 inches) tall. The leaves grow one after another along the stem. Some types of Blanket Flowers only have leaves at the very bottom, near the ground. The leaves come in many different shapes. Most species have tiny glands on their leaves.

Flower Heads

Each Blanket Flower plant produces a single, large flower head. This head looks like one big flower, but it's actually made of many tiny flowers. The outer part of the flower head has colorful "petals." These are called ray florets. There can be 15 or more of these ray florets. Some types of Blanket Flowers don't have any ray florets at all.

The ray florets can be almost any shade. You might see yellow, orange, red, purple, brown, white, or even two colors at once. Sometimes, these outer petals are rolled up like a funnel. In the center of the flower head, there are many small, tube-shaped flowers. These are called disc florets. They come in similar colors and often have tiny hairs on their tips.

Seeds

After the flower blooms, it produces fruit. This fruit usually has a special structure called a pappus. The pappus is made of small scales. It helps the seeds to spread.

Symbolism and Meaning

The Blanket Flower has a special meaning for Texas State University. The school colors are maroon and old gold. This color combination was inspired by the beautiful colors of the gaillardia flower.