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Native Plant Society of Texas

Lanceleaf Blanketflower

Gaillardia aestivalis

Other common name(s):

Winkler Gaillardia

Family:

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
2
ft.

Spread

1
to
2
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Loam, Rocky, Rich, Well Drained, Moist, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White, Pink, Yellow, Purple

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Pollen, Flowers

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Bees

Maintenance

Easy to grow, but fairly short lived. Use this native plant in a wildflower garden, the front of a perennial border, in a pollinator garden, cottage, or rock garden. Although it prefers rich, moist soil, once established it will tolerate drought and dry soil. Performs poorly in overly moist, heavy clay soils. It has a long bloom period of late spring to fall. When the rays that are present drop, the globular cones remain attractive. Propagation: seed.

Comments

Blooms April-October. This plant has a clumping, erect form. Leaves are 2-4 inches long, alternate, thick, with soft hair on both sides, of variable shape. Lower leaves are larger than those higher on the stem. Flowers are yellow on the top and orange brown underneath. Pinwheel ray flowers have 3 deeply cut lobed petals around a red-brown central cone of disk florets. The flowers are distinctive because they often have only partial rays or in some cases are virtually rayless. The fruit is an achene: small, dry, one-seed often attached to fine filaments.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Gaillardia lanceolata, Gaillardia chrysantha, Gaillardia fastigiata, Gaillardia lutea, Gaillardia rigida, Gaillardia serotina, Gaillardia aestivalis var. aestivalis, Gaillardia aestivalis var. flavovirens, Gaillardia aestivalis var. winkleri, Gaillardia lanceolata var. fastigiata, Gaillardia lanceolata var. flavovirens, Gaillardia lutea var. winkleri Cory

References

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed No Treatment Direct sow int he soil. The seeds are generally ripe September. Remove the seeds from the heads by rubbing then shake through a screen to remove chaff. Seed viability remains high for several years with proper storage. 1) https://warcapps.usgs.gov/PlantID/Species/Details/3810#:~:text=The%20seeds%20are%20generally%20ripe,with%20competition%20from%20tall%20plants. 2) https://www.plantdelights.com/products/gaillardia-aestivalis-var-winkleri-grape-sensation?srsltid=AfmBOoq0NBE-FUWoQVWYZ_RXFMM6Gou62WnFimkVfb8s1M-pPX26nqUb

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our fall Symposium host chapter, the Tonkawa Chapter, includes both of these ecoregions.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason