Find Your Ask The Expert: While traveling through Oklahoma I saw these beautiful flowers along the road. I was told they were called Indian Painted Flowers. I understand they are your state flower. Is there anyway I can get these flowers for my garden.
Thank you, Susan Hopkins
Susan,
The Oklahoma state flower is the Gaillardia x grandiflora also known as Gaillardia pulchella. It is commonly referred to as blanket flower, Indian blanket flower or Indian painted flower. There are several perennial and annual cultivars of this plant. My favorite is one called Gallardia ‘Goblin’. It is a short (12″) roundy moundy perennial that blooms all summer long, even if I forget to deadhead it. We grow it every year at our garden center and it is one of our customers favorite perennials.
Depending on where you live, your local garden center should have some type of Gaillardia. The perennial Gaillardia are hardy in zones 4-10. I would caution you that it will throw seed every where if you for get to deadhead it and the germination rate is very high.
When purchasing Gaillardia at a local garden center be sure to ask them if it is a perennial variety (comes back year after year) or an annual variety (must be planted every year).