Gaillardia pulchella, Firewheel, Southwest Desert Flora

Gaillardia pulchella, Firewheel

Indian Blanket has showy red with yellow flowers that may bloom year-around or regularly from April to August. The beautiful flowers are 1 to 2 inches (2.54-8 cm) across. Gaillardia pulchella

Indian Blanket is also called Firewheel and may grow up to 2 feet (30-60 cm) tall. This beautiful showy plant is one that someone might expect to find in well maintained gardens. There are several cultivars. Gaillardia pulchella

Indian blanket is a major wildflower of the prairies and meadows but is also native to most of the eastern half, southern half and southwest areas of the United States. It is absent in the northwest states and it also occurs in northeast Canada and northeast Mexico. Gaillardia pulchella

Indian blanket has green leaves and blades that are linear to oblong and some spatulate; lower leaves with supporting stalk and upper leaves are without such a stalk. The leaves are mostly rough in texture. Gaillardia pulchella

Because of their beauty and hardiness, Indianblanket, and many others are seeded along roadsides by highway departments. The genus “Gaillardia” was named after Antoine Rene Gaillard de Charentonneau (1720-1789). Gaillardia pulchella

Scientific Name: Gaillardia pulchella
Common Name: Firewheel

Also Called: Indian Blanketflower, Indianblanket, Rosering Gaillardia, Sundance

Family: Asteraceae, Sunflower Family

Synonyms: (Gaillardia bicolor var. drummondii, Gaillardia drummondii, Gaillardia neomexicana, Gaillardia picta, Gaillardia villosa)

Status: Native

Duration: Annual, biennial or perennial.

Size: 1 to 2 feet (30-60 cm) tall

Growth Form: Forb/herb or subshrub; main stem and many branches hairy, center base stem may become woody; plants generally erect; plants rough hairy throughout.

Leaves: Green; leafy near base, blades linear to oblong and some spatulate; lower leaves (basal) with supporting stalk and upper leaves (cauline) without a stalk (sessile); generally the leaf edges (margins) generally without teeth or with teeth or even lobes; leaves mostly rough (strigose) in texture.

Flower Color: Red with yellow tips, or red or purplish along the tips, flowers showy 1 to 2 inches (2.54-8 cm) wide; flower heads with both ray (0 or 8 to 14) and disk (40 to 100) florets; ray flower tips reddish-brown with 3-lobes; fruit is a cypsela.

Flowering Season: April or May to August or January through December with amply summer monsoon rainfall.

Elevation: 3,500 to 5,500 feet (1,066-1,676 m)

Habitat Preferences: In Arizona along roadsides, sandy or calcareous soils, often in disturbed areas, dry plains, grassy areas; prefer well drained soil.

Recorded Range: Firewheel is Native to most of the eastern half, southern half and southwest areas of the United States, absent in the northwest states; also occurs in northeast Canada and northeast Mexico, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Sonora, Tamaulipas. It is found throughout the southwestern United States, except Utah where there are no records.

In Texas it prefers dry plains & open areas, widespread in calcareous and sandy-calcareous prairies in the western two-thirds of the state; well-drained sand, loam, calcareous soils.

North America & US County Distribution Map for Gaillardia pulchella.

North America species range map for Firewheel, Gaillardia pulchella:
North American range map courtesy of Virginia Tech, Dept. of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation

Click image for full size map

U.S. Weed Information: Unknown
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: Unknown

Wetland Indicator: In North America Gaillardia pulchella has the following wetland designations:

Alaska, UPL

Arid West, FACU

Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, UPL;

Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, UPL;

Great Plains, UPL;

Midwest, UPL;

Northcentral & Northeast, UPL;

Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast, UPL;

UPL = Obligate Upland, almost never occur in wetlands
FACU = Facultative Upland, usually occur in non-wetlands, but may occur in wetlands

Threatened/Endangered Information: Unknown

Genus Information: In North America there are 12 species and 22 accepted taxa overall for Gaillardia. Worldwide, The Plant List includes 24 accepted species names and a further 43 scientific names of infraspecific rank for the genus.

The genus Gaillardia was published in 1788 by French plant physiologist, archaeologist, and naturalist Auguste Denis Fougeroux de Bondaroy.

In the Southwestern United States: Arizona has 6 species of genus, California has 2 species, Nevada has 3 species, New Mexico has 4 species, Texas has 7 species, Utah has 6 species. Data approximate and subject to revision.

There are 3 varieties in Gaillardia pulchella;

Gaillardia pulchella var. australis, (TX)
Gaillardia pulchella var. picta, (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC);
Gaillardia pulchella var. pulchella, (generally SW U.S. & eastern half of U.S.).

Comments: Firewheel or Indian Blanket is a beautiful showy plant one might expect to find in well maintained gardens. Indian blanket is a major wildflower of the prairies and meadows. In fact Firewheel thrives under cultivation and several varieties of been developed in an array of colors.

Firewheel is the state wildflower of Oklahoma.

Firewheel is extremely adaptable and often found in disturbed areas, along roadsides and dry areas with sandy soil. Flowers from late spring through fall and blooms may be extended by late summer monsoons. Because of their beauty and hardiness, this wildflower, and many others are seeded along roadsides by highway departments. So much so that I am always suspicious of the “naturalness” of wildflowers blooming along roadways.

For information on the home propagation of Firewheel see the Lady Bird Johnson, Plants Database page this species at this link.

Also see in Southwest Desert Flora, Red Dome Blanketflower, Gaillardia pinnatifida.

Importance to Wildlife, Birds and Livestock Flowers and plants of the genus Gaillardia may be visited by hummingbirds and/or small mammals in search of food, nectar or cover.

Special Value to Butterflies and Insects Gaillardia species are used as food plants by the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera species, including Schinia bina which has been recorded on Gaillardia pulchella and Schinia volupia which feeds exclusively on Gaillardia pulchella.

Special Value to Native bees; Gaillardia pulchella is recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees. See Plants for Pollinators: Blanketflower; and also see the Pollinator Conservation Program. This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Etymology: The genus “Gaillardia” (Gaillar'dia:) is named after Antoine Rene Gaillard de Charentonneau (1720-1789), a French magistrate, naturalist and patron of botany, member of the Académie Royale des Sciences. He received seeds of plants from the French colonies which he both cultivated himself and shared with other botanists.

The genus Gaillardia was published in 1788 by French plant physiologist, archaeologist, and naturalist Auguste Denis Fougeroux de Bondaroy.

The species epithet “pulchella” (pulchel'la/pulchel'lum/pulchel'lus:) derived from the Latin for “beautiful.”

Ethnobotany Firewheel is used for a medicinal and other purposes by southwestern United States indigenous peoples.

Kiowa Other, Decorations; Flowers used for ornaments in the homes.

Kiowa Other, Good Luck Charm; Flowers believed to bring luck.

Keres, Western Drug, Gynecological Aid; Plant rubbed on mothers' breasts to wean infant.

Keres, Western Drug, Psychological Aid; Infusion of plant used to become good drummers.

See complete listing of ethno-botanical uses at Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn.