Gaillardia pulchella
Firewheel indian blanket
(c) Conway Hawn, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Conway Hawn · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Subshrub · Not Native
Gaillardia pulchella (Firewheel indian blanket) is a non-native California subshrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by elevation range, growth habit, inflorescence number, and disk flower pubescence.
Firewheel indian blanket is a naturalized perennial found in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, San Francisco Bay Area, southwestern California, and Mojave Desert in disturbed sites at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering throughout the summer, this plant produces vibrant red and yellow daisy-like flowers with ray petals 12 to 20 millimeters long. Growing with multiple rough-hairy stems 20 to 40 centimeters tall, it spreads from a base with several branching stems. Its leaves vary from oblong to lance-ovate, with lower leaves reaching 4 to 8 centimeters long and potentially showing pinnate lobing, while upper leaves are smaller and often entire. The fruit is 2 to 2.5 millimeters long with a distinctive pappus 5 to 8 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; distinguished by elevation range, growth habit, inflorescence number, and disk flower pubescence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed sites
Elevation: < 1000 m
Outside California: native to Texas and nearby states
How to tell it apart
vs Coreopsis: Seed scales ending in sharp bristles vs. flat scales or none in Coreopsis.; vs Hulsea: Non-native in disturbed sites vs. native alpine/montane specialist.; vs Arctotis: Bristle-tipped seed scales vs. plumy seed tufts in African daisy.; vs Rudbeckia: Ray petals often notched, bristly center vs. drooping rays and smooth cone.; vs Calendula: Bristly receptacle and awn-tipped scales vs. naked receptacle in pot marigold.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gaillardia pulchella native to California?
No. Gaillardia pulchella is not native to California (recorded as not native).
What plant family does Gaillardia pulchella belong to?
Gaillardia pulchella is in the Asteraceae family, genus Gaillardia.
What habitat does Gaillardia pulchella grow in?
Gaillardia pulchella grows in Disturbed sites.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.