gaillardia

noun gail·lar·dia \ gə-ˈlär-d(ē-)ə \

Updated on: 1 Apr 2018

Definition of gaillardia

: any of a genus (Gaillardia) of American composite herbs with showy flower heads — called also blanketflower

Recent Examples of gaillardia from the Web

Medium-height plants may include calendulas, peonies, gladiolus, lilies, standing cypress, echinacea, daisies, gaillardia, Swiss chard, zinnias or any annual or perennial that loves full sun exposure.

— margaret lauterbach, idahostatesman, "Cottage gardens can include edibles as well as ornamentals | Idaho Statesman," 21 Mar. 2018
The grassy path along the east side of the house is lined with tall goldenrod spikes, dune sunflower, spotted bee-balm, scorpion’s tail, gaillardia, yellowtop and other colorful wildflowers.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "Go wild on a South Florida native-garden tour on Sunday," 27 Sep. 2017
The daisies were beheaded, the gaillardia decimated.

— elizabeth c. leon, The Christian Science Monitor, "A garden that only a human could love," 9 Aug. 2017
A: Although there are a number of possibilities, one of my favorites is the gaillardia, also called blanket flower.

— ottillia "toots" bier, Orange County Register, "Master Gardener: Options for water-wise, easy-care perennials," 16 June 2017
Although there are a number of possibilities, one of my favorites is the gaillardia, also called blanket flower.

— ottillia "toots" bier, Orange County Register, "Master Gardener: Options for water-wise, easy-care perennials," 16 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gaillardia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gaillardia

borrowed from New Latin, from René Gaillard de Charentonneau, 18th-century French magistrate and botanical amateur + -ia ¹-ia

Note: Named by the French botanist Auguste Denis Fougeroux de Bondaroy (1732-89) in "Extrait dʼun mémoire … contenant la description dʼun nouveau genre de plante," Observations sur la physique, sur lʼhistoire naturelle et sur les arts, tome 29 (juillet, 1786), pp. 53-56. Fougeroux initially designated the plant Gaillarda, correcting it to Gaillardia in later publications.

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1879

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