Gaillardia 'Mesa Red'

Gaillardia 'Mesa Red': Solid Red, Hold the Yellow Trim

Solid bright red daisies that refuse to fade, no matter how hard the sun tries. 'Mesa Red' is the friend who never lets their hair colour grow out. ROOTS? NOT ON ITS WATCH.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Gaillardia × grandiflora
• Common Name: Blanket Flower
• Series: Mesa, from PanAmerican Seed
• Height: 36–41 cm (14–16 in)
• Spread: 51–56 cm (20–22 in)
• Flowers: Large, solid bright red daisies with a darker centre; colour holds without fading
• Bloom Time: Early summer to early fall (June to September)
• Foliage: Green leaves on an upright, well-branched plant
• Features: Long blooming

Where to Plant: Use it where you want a solid block of red at knee height: the front or middle of a hot border, a sunny foundation bed, or a big patio container. A group of three or five reads clearly from the street.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Mesa Red' in a sunny, dry bed with purple globes, fuchsia salvia and a white thyme edge. Thymus 'Albiflorus' creeps at 2 to 5 cm with tiny white flowers in June and July. Salvia 'Bumbleberry' adds fuchsia-pink spikes at 25 to 30 cm in June and July. Allium 'Purple Sensation' opens deep violet globes at 60 to 90 cm in May and June. Panicum 'Shenandoah' stands behind at 90 to 120 cm, its blades turning burgundy by fall.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in average to lean, well-drained soil. Sandy or gravelly ground is ideal. Rich, wet soil makes blanket flowers floppy and short-lived, and heavy clay that stays soggy in winter is the main reason they don't come back. If you garden on clay, plant on a slope, in a raised bed, or work in grit first. Water regularly the first season, then only during long dry spells. Skip the fertilizer. Deadhead spent flowers to keep new buds coming. Blanket flowers can be short-lived. Cutting the plant back by about half in late summer encourages fresh leafy growth that helps it through winter, and dividing every two or three years in spring keeps it vigorous. Leave the foliage in place over winter and tidy it up in spring.

History: PanAmerican Seed developed the Mesa series as F1 hybrid blanket flowers grown from seed, aiming for an even, compact habit and reliable flowering, and 'Mesa Red' starts blooming one to three weeks ahead of the other Mesa colours. Like all Gaillardia × grandiflora, it descends from two North American wildflowers, G. aristata and G. pulchella.

Final Thoughts: Plant it wherever you need colour that holds all season. THIS RED DOES NOT BACK DOWN.