204 · Arizona Red Shades (Gaillardia)

About this plant

Deep cherry-red daisies on a compact one-foot plant that stays tidy all season and flowers from March until the first real cold. Baker Creek picked this one for gardens that get genuinely hot and dry, and it holds up in reflected heat where most annuals quit. Plant it in the worst sunbaked corner of the yard and it will reward you.

Planting it at home

When to plant out

Wait until after our last frost (about mid-February) and warm soil — usually March. Until then keep the pot in a sunny, sheltered spot and bring it in on cold nights.

Where

Hot full-sun beds, west exposures, gravel and xeriscape gardens, naturalised meadow plantings, containers

Spacing

12–18 in apart (Swallowtail)

Size

12 in tall and tidy (Baker Creek), 3–4 in flowers. No staking.

Support

Bush / compact — little or no support

Care

Sun

Full sun

Water

Low to moderate; drought tolerant established, needs good drainage

Feed

A light flower fertilizer every 3–4 weeks while blooming (general guide).

Pick / harvest

Cut fully open, early morning; strip lower leaves, use preservative (GITG)

Deadhead

Cut off spent flowers to keep new blooms coming.

Good to know

Caution

Wear gloves: hairy leaves can irritate skin. Not edible.

Grown from

Seed — sown by FHCG volunteers

Uses

Xeriscape, pollinator and butterfly beds, borders, containers, cutting

Life cycle

Perennial — Baker Creek states zones 3–10, so a reliably returning perennial in 9b, though typically short-lived (2–3 years) and self-sowing

Heirloom or hybrid

Heirloom — saved seeds grow true

Pollinators

Bees including native bees, and butterflies (Baker Creek; Swallowtail). Finches and other birds take the seedheads.

Heat (our summer)

Excellent — bred for heat and drought; deadhead in extreme heat to keep blooms coming

Cold

Yes — Baker Creek lists zones 3–10; far hardier than needed here

Color

Cherry-red to bright red, deepening through the bloom; 3–4 in daisies (Baker Creek FL998)

Edible

No. Not a food plant. Fuzzy hairs on leaves and stems can irritate skin; wear gloves (NC State Extension).