Mesa Red blanket flower
Gaillardia x grandiflora
Type: Perennial
Blooms: Deep red, daisy-shaped blooms in late spring to late summer
Light: Full sun
Soil: Prefers moist, well-drained soil; tolerates dry soil
Pests: None serious
Size: 14 to 16 in. tall, 20 to 22 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 10
Plant Source: Local garden centers
Think you don’t need a blanket in summer? Think again! Blanket flowers add a punch of continuous color to any sunny garden. And Mesa Red blooms even longer than most varieties, starting in late spring and lasting through late summer. With 2- to 3-inch-wide red, nonfading, daisy-shaped flowers, a few of these gorgeous little perennials can make a big, colorful statement in some of your toughest, hottest garden spots. Plus, they’re more compact than most blanket flower cultivars, so the clumps won’t fall apart in the middle or sprawl over neighboring plants.
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Welcome pollinators with blanket flower
If you’re trying to attract pollinators to your garden, Mesa Red extends a colorful welcome. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds love the nectar-rich flowers. Just as important, deer and rabbits tend to avoid them. They make good, long-lasting cut flowers too, so you can enjoy them indoors or out.
Got a hot spot? Blanket flowers thrive in lots of sun but get leggy and floppy in too much shade. Moist, well-drained soil is best, but they will tolerate dry, sandy, and rocky soil. If you're trying to get this hybrid of two North American species started in a dry spot, make sure you water plants regularly for the first summer to get the root systems established. Avoid heavy clay soils, though, as the inadequate drainage causes rot.
Mesa Red blanket flower care
You don’t need to fertilize blanket flowers, either, as that can make them flop. Plants are often short-lived, lasting two to three years; make sure they have adequate drainage and cut them back to 5 or 6 inches high in the fall to help them last longer.
If you purchase potted plants, they generally bloom the first summer. You can also start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost, or sow them directly outdoors after the last frost. The seeds need light to germinate, so sow them on the surface of the seed-starting mix. Seed-grown blanket flowers likely won’t bloom until the second year.
However you choose to plant them, Mesa Red blanket flowers will be a summer star in any sunny garden! Find a colorful garden bed design below to get started with this tough perennial.
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Colorful planting plan for hot, sunny spots with Mesa Red Blanket flower
This bright primary-colored combo won’t wash out in a hot, sunny corner of the garden, so you and the butterflies can enjoy it all summer long. Keep this planting watered regularly the first summer you plant it, and it’ll be able to tolerate some drought in subsequent years — this makes it a perfect combination for a spot a little farther from a water source.
A. Yarrow Achillea ‘Moonshine’
Perennial; yellow blooms from early to late summer; full sun; 12 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8
B. Blanket flower Gaillardia x grandiflora Mesa Red
Perennial; deep red, daisy-shaped blooms in late spring to late summer; full sun; 14 to 16 in. tall, 20 to 22 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 10
C. Veronica Veronica ‘Blue Sprite’
Perennial; blue-purple spikes in early to late summer; full sun; 3 to 6 in. tall, 18 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7
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