Indian Blanket

Management

Defer grazing until plants become established and are allowed to set seed. Allow plant to produce seed annually to ensure stand longevity.

Pests and Potential Problems

There are no known potential pests or problems with this species.

Environmental Concerns

Concerns

Concerns

There are no known environmental concerns associated with this species.

Seeds and Plant Production

Plant Production

Plant Production

Indian blanket is best started using greenhouse grown transplants, planted on bedded rows. Seedlings grow and mature quickly and will produce a marketable crop in the first year of planting. Fields can be harvested with a combine with an all crop header when 75% of the seed has reached maturity. Harvesting in this method stimulates subsequent flushes of seed. Under certain conditions a desiccant may be applied prior to harvesting to improve harvestability. Process the seed through a brush machine and then an air screen seed cleaner. Indian blanket can be harvested one to three times per year depending on the botanical variety. Fuego Germplasm can be harvested three times per year in south Texas, typically in May, August and October. Flowering and seed production continue all season long, particularly in response to rainfall, but combine harvesting sets the vegetation back. Seed production has ranged from 11 to 80 lb/acre depending on harvest in small experimental plots. Yields are estimated at 120-200 lb/acre per year in a commercial setting on 36-inch bedded rows with a plant population of 14,500 plants per acre. Seed production fields are best established from transplants spaced 12-inches apart. Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin) Fuego Germplasm Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella Foug.) is a selected plant material class of certified seed cooperatively released by the USDA, NRCS E. “Kika” de la Garza Plant Material Center and Texas Native Seeds in 2020. It was selected for its vigor and long blooming period throughout the Rio Grande Plain and Coastal Sand Plain (MLRA 83) and Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes ecoregions of Texas (MLRA 150). It is useful for upland wildlife plantings, pollinator habitat plantings, highway rights-of-way revegetation, reclamation of energy exploration sites and for inclusion in range seeding mixes. Select cultivars based on the local climate, resistance to local pests, and intended use. Consult with your local land grant university, local extension or local USDA NRCS office for recommendations on adapted cultivars for use in your area.

Literature Cited

Correll, D.V., and M.S. Johnston. 1996. Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas. The University of Texas at Dallas. Dallas, TX. Fourth Printing. Everitt, J.H., D.L. Drawe, and R.I. Lonard. 1999. Field Guide to the Broad-leaved Herbaceous Plants of South Texas used by Livestock and Wildlife. Texas Tech University Press. Lubbock, TX. Lehman, R.L., R. O’Brien, and T. White. 2005. Plants of the Texas Coastal Bend. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX. Citation Maher S., and J. Reilley. 2020. Plant guide for Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella). USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, E. “Kika” de la Garza Plant Materials Center, Kingsville, TX. Published 9/2020. For more information about this and other plants, please contact your local NRCS field office or Conservation District at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ and visit the PLANTS Web site at http://plants.usda.gov/ or the Plant Materials Program web site: http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov. PLANTS is not responsible for the content or availability of other Web sites.