Member of Sunflower Family
Blooms: April - October
The Red Gaillardias grow in deep sandy soils in prairies and pastures and woodland openings. They are closely related to the Indian Blanket or Firewheel. They grow, as you can see, in large quantities often covering many acres or miles. They do well in gardens.
This portrait is hanging in the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. In 1982 LadyBird Johnson and actress Helen Hayes founded an organization to protect and preserve North America's native plants. The Native Plant Information Network is a comprehensive database of more than 7,200 native species available online at http://www.wildflower.org/. Of course, her biggest passion was that of the Texas Wildflowers. She was born in the small North East Texas town of Karnack. Her home is still there today and is quite a tourist attraction. She worked for the legislation making some highways to be Texas Wildflower Trails throughout the state. In her words: "Wherever I go in America, I like it when the land speaks its own language in its own regional accent." --Lady Bird Johnson
During the summers, Lady Bird would come and visit her Aunt in Jefferson, Texas , not far from her home. She as a little girl, loved the flowers and birds. She would play in the yard and sing to the flowers and birds. Her Aunt gave here the nickname of Lady Bird. It has been written tha her Aunt told her that she sang so beautifully, just like a Lady Bird. Her real name was Claudia Taylor, born December 22, 1912 --July 11, 2007.
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