Welcome back to In Between We Garden!
Today, we’re shining a light on two local wildflower plants: blanketflower and coreopsis. These aren’t just pretty wildflowers you see dotting the roadside; they’re fantastic additions to Zone 10A butterfly gardens!
Ready to bring some Florida flair to your garden? Or perhaps you have an area perfect for a wildflower meadow! Let’s dig in!
Blanketflower: A Colorful Surprise
You might be surprised to find blanketflower (Gaillardia pulchella) on our list of Florida wildflowers – after all, it thrives in the prairies!
Blanketflower, sometimes spelled blanket flower, Indian blanket, or firewheel, is a prairie plant, natively found in most of the western states, the upper Great Plains, around the Great Lakes, and in portions of New England.
So, even though it is not native to the eastern United States, including Florida, it does quite well.
A Show Stopping Display
True to its name, blanketflower lives up to its reputation. Its vibrant blossoms, featuring a central disk surrounded by red, orange, and yellow petals (solid or patterned!), create a dazzling display that blankets the ground with color.
This continuous show starts in spring and summer for North Florida, while lucky Central and South Florida gardeners enjoy year-round blooms!
Tough as Nails, Easy on You
Here’s the best part: blanketflower is a low-maintenance dream for our sunny climate. It thrives in dry to slightly dry, well-drained sandy soil and loves basking in full sun. Plus, it readily spreads by seed, making it a low-effort way to add color to your garden.
Planting and Care Tips
- Blanketflower is considered a short-lived perennial but self-seeds readily.
- Plants typically grow 12 to 18 inches tall.
- Plant them 12 to 18 inches apart for good air circulation to minimize pests and diseases like aphids and powdery mildew.
- Regular watering is only needed when establishing new plants or during extended droughts.
- Skip the fertilizer – it can actually reduce flowering and make the plants leggy.
- Deadheading spent blooms encourages continued flower power throughout the season.
My Personal Experience
My prior personal experience with blanketflower was a plant-and-forget-it scenario. I was living in Indianapolis at the time and saw it at a big box store. Several of the plants came home with me. Since it was a wildflower, I didn’t pay much attention to it, figuring it could grow in my yard just as well as it did in the wild. I never deadheaded the plants and ended up with a bunch of really leggy plants lying mostly on their side with lots of seed heads popping up. It really wasn’t very attractive at all. So, even though it is a wildflower, to look nice in your garden beds, I strongly recommend paying it a little attention.
Coreopsis: A Sunshine-Loving Native
Now, let’s meet our true Floridian superstar: Coreopsis (Coreopsis Floridan)! This wildflower is one of 12 Coreopsis species native to Florida.
This bright wildflower, also known as Dye Flower, was once used by Native Americans for making yellow and orange dyes.
You can spot it brightening up wet pinelands, prairies, swamp edges, and even roadside ditches throughout Florida, especially in central and southern regions.
Coreopsis is Florida’s official state wildflower.
It is commonly known as Florida Tickseed. The colloquial name “tickseed” comes from the appearance of the center of the flower, where its seeds grow. It bears an uncanny resemblance to tick eggs. However, ticks do not lay their eggs here; it is just the seeds for next year’s flowers!
Blooming Beauty, Year-Round!
Unlike blanketflower, Florida tickseed blooms later in the season, typically starting in late summer and lasting into early winter.
But here’s the best part – in our warm climate, it might even grace your garden with blooms year-round!
Golden Glow, Easy Care
Florida tickseed boasts a beautiful display of bright yellow ray petals surrounding a dark center. It thrives in sandy soil bathed in full sun, just like blanketflower.
This wildflower prefers a soil that is moist while establishing, but then is quite happy with dry soil.
Planting and Care Tips
- Florida tickseed typically grows 2 to 3 feet tall.
- Space them 12 to 18 inches apart for good air circulation and healthy growth.
- Plant seeds about twice their size deep in the soil.
- Water regularly during the first growing season, but established plants are more drought-tolerant.
- Deadheading (removing spent blooms) encourages more flowers and prevents unwanted self-seeding.
- Watch out for occasional pests like aphids and leafhoppers.
Planting Together
These two plants are perfect to plant together since they thrive in similar conditions. If you are thinking of a true wildflower meadow (even if only a small flower bed), you can plant them with milkweed or purple porter weed.
These wildflowers aren’t just about the blooms! They play a vital role in our local ecosystem. Blanketflower attracts butterflies like monarchs, swallowtails, and checkerspots, while Florida tickseed provides nectar for bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds. By planting these wildflowers, you’re helping to create a haven for these vital pollinators.
Conclusion
Adding blanketflower and Florida tickseed to your garden not only enhances its beauty but also supports our local ecosystem.
These resilient, low-maintenance plants are perfect for Florida’s sunny climate and will provide a year-round feast for pollinators.
So, why wait? Bring some native charm to your garden with these stunning wildflowers and watch as butterflies and bees make your yard their home.
Happy gardening, and stay tuned for more tips from In Between We Garden!
Resources:
Florida Wildflower Foundation: Blanketflower
Florida Wildflower Foundation: Florida Tickseed
Independent Farmer Banks: Florida Wildflowers We are Adding to “Here on the Farm”
Whitwam Organics: Coreopsis – Golden Wave Tickseed