Gaillardia pulchella is a North American species of short-lived
perennial or
annual flowering plant in the sunflower family,
Asteraceae. It is often known as the Indian blanketflower, perhaps because of the resemblance of the
inflorescence to the brightly patterned
blankets made by
Native Americans. It is a drought-tolerant plant native to northern Mexico and the southern United States, often carpeting fields and the sides of highways for miles in the summer and fall. These
G. pulchella blooms were photographed in
Aspen, Colorado.
Photograph credit: Rhododendrites