Indian Blanket Plant Care

Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) belongs to the Asteraceae family within the Gaillardia genus. Indian Blanket is native to United States, Mexico. Indian Blanket is also known as Firewheel, Indian blanketflower, Prairie fire.

Indian Blanket displays a low rosette, clumping growth habit, reaching up to 1.5 ft tall with a spread of approximately 1.5 ft. Indian Blanket produces colorful daisy-like flowers in red, yellow, and orange hues.

Leaf size: approximately 4 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Indian Blanket every 7–10 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established shrubs mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Indian Blanket thrives in full sun to partial shade.

Gaillardia pulchella tolerates temperatures of 60–80°F. Indian Blanket prefers humidity levels of 40–60%.

Well-draining, sandy soil with some organic matter. Good drainage is essential for Indian Blanket to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Indian Blanket every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established shrubs in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to partial shade and well-draining, sandy soil with some organic matter. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Indian Blanket is suited to USDA Zone 2a – 10b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped shrubs in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Indian Blanket can spread to about 2 ft (0.5 m) and reach about 2 ft (0 m) tall. Space plants about 2 ft (0.5 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the plant spacing calculator.

Prune Indian Blanket while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the shrub in one year.

Indian Blanket is hardy down to USDA zone 2a, so once established it can stay outdoors through winter in that zone and warmer ones.

Water deeply in late autumn before the ground freezes, and spread a 5–8 cm (2–3 in) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.

Young and container-grown shrubs need extra protection: roots in a pot freeze much more easily than roots in the ground.

Indian Blanket can be propagated through seeds, division of clumps. Similar propagation techniques also apply to firewheel plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Indian Blanket is susceptible to aphids, spider mites, powdery mildew. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Indian Blanket grows outdoors in USDA Zone 2a – 10b. It survives winters down to planting zone 2a. Indian Blanket is native to United States, Mexico.