Common Gaillardia vs Slimstem Reedgrass - TreeTime.ca

Common Gaillardia vs Slimstem Reedgrass

Gaillardia aristata

Calamagrostis stricta

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Common Gaillardia
Slimstem Reedgrass

Common Gaillardia is a native perennial wildflower known for its vibrant, daisy-like blooms. Flower petals vary in color from two-tone blooms with an orange-red center and yellow tips to solid yellow. Blooming from early summer to fall, it provides continuous color while attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The seeds also serve as a food source for birds, adding to its ecological value.

Common Gaillardia is easy to grow and can tolerate heat and drought. If flowering slows in the summer heat, cutting back the plant can encourage a new round of blooms in the fall. It is ideal for pollinator gardens, xeriscaping, naturalization projects, and ornamental plantings.

As a perennial, it dies back to the crown each winter, it will regrow from the base in the spring. Avoid disturbing the crown during late winter to ensure healthy growth the following season.

Slimstem Reedgrass is a native perennial bunchgrass commonly found in damp meadows, wetlands, and along streams and lakeshores. It thrives in wet, nutrient-poor soils and shows some tolerance to saline conditions. Typically a bunchgrass, it can also spread by rhizomes to form colonies, making it well-suited for soil stabilization, riparian zone planting, and wetland restoration projects.
Slimstem Reedgrass provides valuable cover for small animals and birds, and its dense growth can even serve as nesting habitat for waterfowl in wetland areas. Its seeds offer forage for wildlife, while the tall stems and floral spikes add texture and visual interest to the landscape.

Common Gaillardia Quick Facts

Slimstem Reedgrass Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.8 m (2.5 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: very fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - high, seeds - low
Suckering: none


Flowers: orange-red with yellow tips; daisy-like
Bloom time: early summer to fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: blanketflower, brown-eyed susan, great blanket flower, great blanketflower, great-flowered gaillardia
Other Names: narrow reedgrass, narrow-leaved reed grass, narrow-spiked reedgrass, slim-stemmed reedgrass