Gaillardia aristata ‘Sunrita Red Yellow Tip’ – Blanket Flower – British Grown

Description

A bold and cheerful bloomer, Gaillardia aristata ‘Sunrita Red Yellow Tip’ produces large, daisy-like flowers with sunny yellow petals and a deep red ring around the central cone. These long-lasting blooms appear continuously through summer and into autumn, making it a vibrant addition to borders, pollinator gardens, and gravel planting schemes. Heat- and drought-tolerant once established, it’s an ideal low-maintenance perennial for sunny spots.

Gaillardia aristata ‘Sunrita Red Yellow Tip’, commonly known as Blanket Flower, is a hardy perennial grown for its vivid, bicolour blooms and impressive flower power.

Scientific Name
Gaillardia aristata ‘Sunrita Red Yellow Tip’ (named for M. Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate and patron of botany)

Common Name
Blanket Flower

Origin
Species native to central and western North America; this cultivar bred for compact habit and bright bicolour blooms

Pruning Tips
Deadhead spent blooms regularly to encourage repeat flowering. Cut back in late autumn or early spring to tidy clumps

Wildlife Value
Highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators

Positioning
Full sun in a well-drained spot – ideal for borders, prairie-style planting, and pollinator gardens

Wate
Water during dry spells in the first year. Once established, very drought tolerant

Soil
Well-drained soil – thrives in sandy, gravelly, or poor soils. Avoid heavy, wet conditions

Food
Feed in spring with a general-purpose fertiliser if desired, but avoid overfeeding – too much can reduce flowering

Pet-safe
Generally considered non-toxic to pets

Sprouts Top Tips
This plant thrives on neglect – give it a sunny, free-draining position and it will reward you with months of colour. Great for cutting too – harvest blooms just as they open for the vase.