Flower profile

Great blanketflower

Gaillardia aristata

Native in the lower 48

Great blanketflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–August.

20states

3of our state lists

6,098U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota

Quick look

Gaillardia aristata is a North American species of flowering plant in the sunflower family. It is known by the common names common blanketflower and common gaillardia. This perennial wildflower is native to the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, but cultivars have been introduced in much of North America and Europe.
From Wikipedia's article Gaillardia aristata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 20 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado, Montana and North Dakota. ^NatureServe
In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–October. ^iNaturalist
In Montana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 2 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 2,862 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #52 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,507 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #12 among the 109 flowers on our Montana list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 150 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #45 among the 109 flowers on our North Dakota list. ^iNaturalist

Great blanketflower gift ideas

Handmade great blanketflower gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Great blanketflower art print
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Great blanketflower mug
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (541 records)

Bloom time in each of our 3 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Colorado	Native	June–October	2,862
Montana	Native	June–August	1,507
North Dakota	Native	June–July	150

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Colorado: No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Colorado.
Montana: No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Montana.
North Dakota: No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records great blanketflower in 20 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Baca, Boulder, Clear Creek, Costilla, Custer, Eagle, El Paso, Fremont, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Huerfano, Jefferson, Larimer, Las Animas, Moffat, Rio Blanco, Routt.

Montana counties with USDA records: Beaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Deer Lodge, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Garfield, Glacier, Golden Valley, Granite, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Lincoln, Madison, McCone, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Pondera, Powder River, Powell, Prairie, Ravalli, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sanders, Sheridan, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Toole, Treasure, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux, Yellowstone.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Emmons, Foster, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sheridan, Slope, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, Ward, Wells, Williams.

More Colorado flowers

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–September

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–October

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

★ MD state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms: May–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile GAAR.
iNaturalist, Gaillardia aristata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Gaillardia aristata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Gaillardia aristata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Dan Vickers via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.