Native Blanket Flower adorns east coast dunes and the southwest in vivid color!

Blanket flower, Gaillardia species, is native to the USA occuring in both the southwest and in the southeast particularly in sandy coastal soils. These plants are ubiquitous because of their tolerance of many different growing conditions. In South Carolina where these were filmed they can thrive as part of the sand dune assemblage of plants. It has evolved with a fascinating association with the blanket flower moth Schinia masoni that use the plant as a larval host and as an adult can become completely camouflaged with matching color when feeding on nectar of the blossom!
Attributions:
Blanket Flower Moth Photo
Unspecified, Copyrighted free use, via Wikimedia Commons

[@carmennunnally5776]

Love ❤️ that plant

[@natureatyourdoor]

Yes! 🙂

[@gerardjohnson2106]

Thanks for sharing. 👍👍👏👏🇺🇲🇺🇲

[@natureatyourdoor]

Our native wildflowers are so much fun!

[@JeffreyCotle]

Hi Frank from Pennsylvania student Jeff. Thank you for the extra biology classes you give me on this channel. Awsome . Wildflowers are very beautiful, but are a weak spot for me. But I always enjoy them greatly . I'm spoiled working in the gamelands. Here in Pennsylvania. On sgl 099 there is putty root. It's endangered. And grows in the winter. God bless my friend. I sent some pictures of a controlled burn. That the game commission did today. Nature is so amazing. Pennsylvania Jeff 😊

[@natureatyourdoor]

Putty root is a cool wildflower!

[@RobynMiller-e9d]

Those flowers are in North Carolina as well! Never knew what they were called and thanks to you I know now! Love your videos! ❤

[@natureatyourdoor]

They are quite the showstopper aren’t they! Glad you enjoyed my channel!

[@Guesswho-x4o]

Beautiful

[@natureatyourdoor]

They are quite the showstopper!

[@trlan55]

The flower reminds me a lot of a Galardia flower. I would think if you choose to live on the coast you would want to see native plants.

[@natureatyourdoor]

Native plants make a huge difference in a healthy ecosystem!

[@TLAMBTE]

Have you ever heard of the Michigan Monkey Flower (Erythranthe michiganensis)? It's one of only 3 plant species endemic to Michigan, and it only grows in the Grand Traverse and Mackinac Strait areas of Michigan. I love your videos! Just recently discovered your channel and I love your enthusiasm for nature :)

[@4quall]

@@TLAMBTE I have! We had a home in Beulah Michigan ( Benzie) and had them growing in a few places on our property. So endangered these days I read. Seemed so common in the 80's and 90's

[@natureatyourdoor]

Thanks for the info! So glad you discovered my channel!

[@miggidamac8905]

Great video!

[@natureatyourdoor]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@4quall]

I grow a ton behind my Garage. Live in Michigan along Lake Michigan.

[@4quall]

We also get Blanket Moths!! I never IDed them. Thank you for that

[@natureatyourdoor]

Very cool! Must be beautiful!

[@natureatyourdoor]

You are welcome!

[@4quall]

@@natureatyourdoor well I was just volunteering at a Nature preserve up here in SW Michigan. So many endangered snakes and turtles call the area home. Was talking to the head biologist. He said that Blanket Flowers isn't endemic to the Great lakes. But with global warming he isn't surprised to see them established. I was curious if they weren't natural to the area why we would also have Blanket Moths showing up. Wonder if it's also to do with global warming. We are in Zone 6B this far north because we are along Lake Michigan which gives up warm air a lot longer than East of us.

[@brianquilty687]

That flower is gorgeous ! Great video Mr. Taylor, I loved it.

[@natureatyourdoor]

Glad you liked it!

[@mnemosynevermont5524]

❤❤❤

[@natureatyourdoor]

😀