odSteve
Cool Member
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon May 31, 2021 12:35 am

Please help ID this flower

Hi,
On the left side of the picture below is a flower I would like to ID for reasons I'll explain.

This plant just popped up unexpectedly a couple years ago in my side yard. I don't think it's a cone flower because it's not that tall and its flower petals don't droop like a cone flower. And its seeds are are similar but much smaller than the cone flower seeds I've seen on the internet.

I like this plant because it likes my climate and my hard, dry soil and it flowers profusely from mid summer until the weather is well below freezing. The flowers are beautiful and the picture really doesn't do the plant justice, but it's the only picture I presently have of this plant. Being early in the year when this picture was taken, it was just beginning to flower. It's leaves are narrow / thin.

There is one more of these plants next to the blue tarp with no open flower heads at the time of the picture. That plant is a little bit smaller and the flowers are a slightly different color (very slightly) and it appeared about the same time as the other plant.

It survives our long, harsh winters and doesn't seem to mind the hot, sunny, dry location it chose to live in. I tried deep watering it a few times this past summer, leaving the hose trickle-run for hours and it did not seem to make any difference. Perhaps its roots are too deep to care. I don't know anyone else in the neighborhood with this type of plant. Once the heavy freezes hit, it dies to the ground. I have not found a similar plant at our local nursery, but then again it's not a very well stocked nursery.

I collected seeds (or what I think are its seeds) near the end of last summer and again a couple days ago now that the snow has all melted. I would like to plant a large amount of these plants on the other side of my property from its seeds. But I don't have any idea how to germinate its seeds properly, or if what I have collected are its seeds. I'll be putting those questions in the seed starting forum as soon as I know what kind of plant this is.

I can't think of any other info I can tell you about the plant. I hope someone can ID the plant for me.

Thank you.

Click the link below for a close-up picture.
Last edited by odSteve on Sun Feb 06, 2022 3:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

odSteve
Cool Member
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon May 31, 2021 12:35 am

Image

Plant on left edge of picture, near the top.
Clicking the link and picture below will give a a more close-up of the plant / flower in question.

download/file.php?id=29415&mode=view

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applestar
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Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

At first glance, “Blanket flower” — Gaillardia — was what popped in my head.

odSteve
Cool Member
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon May 31, 2021 12:35 am

Hi and thank you for the reply.

In searching the internet, I find some flowers and leaves of some of the Gaillardia to be very similar to my plant so I believe you are correct.
The only thing that concerns me is that a lot of the articles on the internet say that Gaillardia are short-lived lasting only two seasons. And they need to be protected in the winter. Mine is at least 3 seasons old, never gets any winter protection and judging by its health before winter, I'm sure its going to come back for a forth season in a few weeks stronger than ever.
I guess you can't believe everything you read on the internet.
If anyone else can help confirm its identity, I would appreciate it. I'll be posting some questions on Gaillardia seed propagation in that forum section.

I was sure it wasn't a cone flower but that was the closest my local nursery had to my plant for ID. Thank you again.



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