Gaillardia 'Spintop Red'

Gaillardia 'Spintop Red': A Scarlet Spark in Every Season
Compact and smouldering with rich colour, Gaillardia 'Spintop Red' delivers waves of velvety crimson blooms that glow like embers from early summer to frost. With its neatly mounded form and profusion of daisy-like flowers, this blanket flower lights up the garden in bold, dramatic tones while requiring very little care. As a member of the Spintop series, it's been bred for its compact habit, reliable blooming, and outstanding heat and drought tolerance—perfect for adding intensity to the sunniest spots in your landscape.

Plant Characteristics:

• Height: 20–25 cm
• Spread: 25–30 cm, forming a compact, rounded clump
• Flower Colour: Deep, saturated red petals with a darker crimson cone
• Flowering Period: Early summer to early autumn
• Foliage: Grey-green, lance-shaped leaves that form a dense, low rosette
• Sunlight Requirements: Full sun
• Soil Requirements: Well-drained, sandy or average soil; drought-tolerant once established

Uses and Benefits: Gaillardia 'Spintop Red' brings long-lasting colour and pollinator value to rock gardens, borders, containers, and xeriscapes. Its compact size makes it an excellent choice for front-of-border plantings or for weaving bold accents through gravel paths and sunny beds. Drought- and heat-tolerant, it thrives with minimal care and provides months of nectar for bees and butterflies. Its fiery blooms also make excellent cut flowers.

Companion Plants: Pair Gaillardia 'Spintop Red' with Sedum 'Voodoo', whose dusky, burgundy foliage enhances the rich red blooms and shares its love of dry soils. Add Achillea 'Paprika', whose scarlet-orange flower clusters harmonize with Spintop Red’s tones while offering textural contrast. Complete the composition with Thymus 'Magic Carpet', a flowering groundcover that softens the planting edge with delicate pink blooms and aromatic foliage.

Care Instructions: Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. Water during establishment, then reduce watering as plants mature. Deadhead spent flowers regularly to prolong bloom, or leave seed heads for wildlife and seasonal texture. Cut back in early spring and divide every 2–3 years to refresh the plant and maintain its compact shape.

History: Part of the compact Spintop series, Gaillardia 'Spintop Red' was developed for gardeners who want all the fiery brilliance of blanket flowers in a smaller, more controlled form. Bred from Gaillardia aristata, a tough North American prairie species, it offers resilience, colour, and season-long performance in a form that’s ideal for today’s diverse landscapes.

Final Thoughts: Gaillardia 'Spintop Red' is a small plant with bold energy—perfect for sun-drenched gardens that need a punch of colour and a tough performer. With its compact habit, fiery blooms, and low-maintenance nature, it’s a perennial that proves you don’t need height to make a dramatic statement. A smouldering jewel for summer and beyond.