{"product_id":"fire-wheels-blanket-flower","title":"Fire Wheels Blanket Flower","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"pd-title-head\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eGaillardia aristata\u003c\/em\u003e 'Fire Wheels'\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOverview\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUses:\u003c\/strong\u003e Front-of-border plantings, hot and dry sites, pollinator gardens, rock gardens, outdoor containers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits:\u003c\/strong\u003e The ray petals roll into narrow tubes rather than lying flat, giving each red-and-yellow flower a pinwheel look that reads from across the yard. The habit stays low and uniform, and bloom runs from early summer until frost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife Cycle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardy Perennial\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mounding — compact and uniform\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e Red with yellow tips\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Height:\u003c\/strong\u003e 12–14 in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 12–14 in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Early summer through fall\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate to fast\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSummary\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost blanket flowers give you a flat daisy in warm colors. 'Fire Wheels' gives you something stranger and better.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach ray petal rolls inward along its length into a narrow tube, flaring open only at the tip. The effect is a flower built from dozens of small red trumpets, each finished with a band of yellow at the mouth, radiating from a deep maroon center. Up close it is genuinely unusual. From across the garden it reads as a clean, high-contrast pinwheel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe plant itself is compact and even, holding at roughly a foot in both directions without the leggy sprawl that older blanket flowers develop by midsummer. Flowering starts in early summer and does not meaningfully stop until frost, which is a long run for any perennial and an exceptional one for a plant this size.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt belongs in the difficult places: the strip along the driveway, the south-facing slope, the container that dries out by noon. Heat and lean soil produce the best flowering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCare\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFire Wheels Blanket Flower Care\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFull sun is not negotiable. In shade the plant stretches, flowers sparsely, and becomes prone to rot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSharp drainage matters more than fertility. Sandy, gravelly, or ordinary garden soil all work; heavy clay that stays wet in winter is the one condition that will kill it. If your soil holds water, plant on a slope or in a raised bed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWater while the plant establishes, then leave it alone. Established blanket flower is deeply drought tolerant and overwatering is the more common mistake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSkip fertilizer entirely on average soil. Rich conditions produce floppy foliage at the expense of flowers. On genuinely poor sand, a light spring dose of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/slow-release-fertilizer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eslow release fertilizer\u003c\/a\u003e is sufficient for the season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeadheading is optional; the plant self-cleans and keeps blooming either way. Shearing the whole clump back by a third in midsummer will tidy it and push a heavy new flush. Leave the final round of seed heads standing for goldfinches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSize\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat Size is the Fire Wheels Blanket Flower for Sale Online?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur Fire Wheels Blanket Flower ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. Plants may arrive with buds or blooms during the active growing season. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/pages\/contact\" title=\"Contact Almanac Planting Co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003econtact us\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow Large Does Fire Wheels Blanket Flower Grow?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExpect a mature height of about 12–14 in. and a spread of roughly 12–14 in. in the garden. Growth rate is moderate to fast. If you have questions about spacing for your site, please \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/pages\/contact\" title=\"Contact Almanac Planting Co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003econtact us\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAdditional Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat are some common names for this plant?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe most widely used names are blanket flower, firewheel, and Indian blanket. All three refer to \u003cem\u003eGaillardia\u003c\/em\u003e generally rather than to this selection specifically.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow is 'Fire Wheels' different from a standard blanket flower?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe petal shape. Ordinary blanket flowers carry flat, wedge-shaped rays; 'Fire Wheels' carries rays that roll into tubes and flare at the tip. It also holds a tighter, more uniform mound than seed-grown garden strains, which tend to sprawl as the season goes on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow long do blanket flowers live?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlanket flower is a short-lived perennial by nature, typically strong for three to four years. Dividing the clump every second or third spring keeps it vigorous, and plants left to set seed will often replace themselves nearby.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDoes it handle heat and humidity?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeat, yes, without qualification. Humidity is manageable provided the soil drains and plants are spaced for air movement. Crown rot in wet ground is the failure mode to design against, not summer temperature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs it good in containers?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell suited to them. The compact habit fits a pot without pruning, and the drought tolerance forgives a missed watering. Use a free-draining mix and a container with real drainage holes.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Almanac Planting Co","offers":[{"title":"4 Inch \/ Fall '26 Pre-Order","offer_id":47549108453538,"sku":"APC-GAFW-4in-1yr","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9374\/6850\/files\/FireWheelsBlanketFlower2.jpg?v=1787951151","url":"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/fire-wheels-blanket-flower","provider":"Almanac Planting Co","version":"1.0","type":"link"}