Mesa™ Bright Bicolor Gaillardia

Mesa™ Bright Bicolor is a compact blanket flower with daisy-like blooms that pair red centers with yellow outer petals. It is a first-year-flowering Gaillardia × grandiflora for sunny borders and mixed containers, with a mature spread broad enough to read as a small drift rather than a single upright accent. ## Garden Use PanAmerican Seed lists the PAS888652 selection at about 14–16 inches tall and 20–22 inches wide, with an upright, well-branched habit. Give it room to spread near the front or middle of a sunny border, or use it in a large container where the flowers can be seen close up. The RHS profile places its flowering season from early summer into early autumn and also lists it for cut flowers and wildlife gardens. ## Growing Conditions Choose full sun and soil that drains freely; avoid spots that stay wet. Mesa varieties are described by their breeder as drought tolerant once established, so water new plantings regularly while roots settle, then reduce irrigation as conditions allow. The breeder lists USDA zones 5a–10b for the series. Sources: [PanAmerican Seed](https://www.panamseed.com/Products/027700915025959/gaillardia-mesa-bright-bicolor/), [RHS](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/375950/gaillardia-%C3%97-grandiflora-mesa-bright-bicolour-pas888652-mesa-series/details), [University of Wisconsin Extension](https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/blanket-flower-gaillardia-spp/). ## Maintenance Remove faded flower heads to keep the planting tidy and encourage continued bloom. Cut back old stems after flowering has finished, and leave some seed heads if you want a looser late-season look.