Gaillardia
Gaillardia pulchella
Gaillardia is a tough, heat-loving annual with daisy-like flowers in warm red, orange and yellow, often banded. It thrives in poor, dry soil and flowers for months, making it ideal for sunny borders.
Photo: Rhododendrites · CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Full sun
Watering
Low
Water when the soil is dry; avoid overwatering.
Soil
Sandy, well-drained soil; pH 6.0–7.5. Rich soil reduces flowering.
Temperature and humidity
5–40 °C · Low humidity
Feeding
Little or no feeding.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by seed
Deadhead to keep flowers coming.
Gaillardia is not known to be toxic.
Top Cultivation Tips
Sow in September–October for winter flowers.
Good for dry, sunny terraces.
Attracts butterflies.
Self-seeds lightly.
Common problems
Aphids
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new shoots and buds, sucking sap and leaving sticky honeydew behind.
How to treat it →DiseasePowdery mildew
A fungal disease that coats leaves, buds and young shoots with a white, flour-like dust, weakening the plant and spoiling flowers and fruit.
How to treat it →DiseaseRoot rot
Roots decay in waterlogged soil, so the plant wilts and yellows even though the soil is wet.
How to treat it →
