Nov 17 2008
Indian Blanket Flower
Indian Blanket Flower
‘Gaillardia pulchella’
The Indian Blanket Flower also known as the Firewheel or the Sundance flower, is the official state wild flower of the State of Oklahoma. It blooms practically year-round in some warm areas, but more typically in summer to early fall. Legend states; the blanket flower was once all yellow and was a favorite of the Aztec Indians, years ago, young Aztec women would decorate their hair with crowns of the golden flowers. When Cortez came to their land and killed those who were living there peacefully, the much loved flower “caught the blood of the innocents as they fell”…..and to this day the red stains remain on the flower.
indian blanket flower in bloom
© 2007 photo courtesy L Watts
Blanket flowers are easy to grow from seed. The seeds can be sewed in early Spring and will bloom that same Summer. These hearty flowers thrive in much of central United States, all the way from northern Mexico to southern Canada. From the daisy family, the blanket flower petals are exquisite, each petal in itself is a flower, the colors are vivid and there are several color varieties available. The beauty of each individual flower is timeless, but a large patch of Indian Blanket flowers is a sight to behold.
© 2008 oodles of infOrmation
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