Gaillardia pinnatifida
Torr.
Red dome blanket flower
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(c) Patrick, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Patrick
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Lena Zappia, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Lena Zappia
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Patrick, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Patrick
Summary
Source: WikipediaGaillardia pinnatifida, the Hopi blanketflower or red dome blanketflower, is a perennial plant in the family Asteraceae found in northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Sonora) and in the south-central and southwestern United States (from southwestern Kansas south to central Texas and west as far as southern Nevada).
Description
A low perennial reaching 0.4 m tall. Hardy to UK zone 8. Flowers July to September. Hermaphrodite species. Grows in light sandy to heavy clay soils across mildly acid, neutral, and basic pH ranges. Tolerates semi-shade to full sun and prefers moist soil.
Edible Uses
The dried seeds can be ground into a powder, kneaded into a seed butter, and spread on bread.
Traditional Uses
The seeds are parched, ground and made into seed butter and eaten with fruit drinks or spread on bread.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
The plant is used as a diuretic to relieve painful urination. An infusion of the leaves is taken internally, and a poultice applied externally, to treat gout.
Distribution
It is a warm temperate plant.
Where It Grows
Central America, Mexico, North America, USA,
Cultivation
Requires a position in full sun, succeeding in any moderately fertile well-drained soil. Performs well in poor soils and copes well with hot dry conditions. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. Some winter protection, especially in areas experiencing heavy snows, is recommended. Covering the plants with brush wood should be enough. Plants are so prolific and long blooming that they often exhaust themselves and are then short-lived. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagation
Sow seed in spring in a greenhouse. Prick seedlings into individual pots once large enough to handle and plant out during summer. Division can be done with care. Root cuttings can be taken in winter.
Other Uses
No other uses are known.
Notes
There are about 25-30 Gaillardia species.
References (3)
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 378
- Moerman, D. F., 2010, Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. p 241
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
