![]() Inhaling powdered flowers relieved other headaches. Poultices made from the entire plant were used to treat sinus headaches when applied to the forehead. The tea was also used to increase fertility and as a blood tonic and diuretic. Native Americans used the roots as tea for gastroenteritis. The spring following the old man’s death, wildflowers of the colors and design of the old Indian’s blanket appeared in profusion upon his grave … to bloom and spread forever. So, He decided that He would give this gift back to those that the old Indian had left behind. The Great Spirit was very pleased because of the beauty of the gift, but also saddened, because He realized that only those in the Happy Hunting Ground would be able to appreciate the old blanket maker’s beautiful creation. In time, the old man died and his family dutifully wrapped him in this blanket, which was to be his gift to the Great Spirit when they met. ![]() ![]() It blended his favorite browns, reds and yellows into the beautiful patterns for which he was so famous. The old blanket maker had never taken an apprentice and when he realized that he had only a short time left, he began weaving his own burial blanket. The blooms provide nectar for other butterfly species.įrom the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: The legend tells of an old Indian blanket maker whose talent for weaving produced such beautiful blankets that other Indians would travel many miles to trade for one. The common buckeye and checkerspot butterflies use the Indian blanket flower as a host plant for their larvae. Planting Indian blanket seeds in the fall may help reduce the amount of the invasive species, bastard cabbage. While it grows in many soil types, sandy and well drained soils are best. The plant is drought tolerant growing well in a dry, hot climate in full sun. As a cut flower, it has a vase life of six to ten days. When planting the seeds, barely cover them, as they need light to germinate. To encourage seed production for the following year, it is best to wait three weeks after the peak flowering season before mowing. Indian blanket is an annual plant, reseeding itself each year and easy to grow. Deadheading encourages a longer bloom time. During the blooming season, one plant can have as many as 185 simultaneous blooming flowers. The plants grow from one to two feet tall and the flowers are one to two inches in diameter. ![]() Indian blanket plants fill pastures and roadsides with a beautiful red color. According to Marcus, the Indian paintbrush has a symbiotic relationship with bluebonnets, but because Texas has experienced a drier year than normal, the flower may bloom a little later than usual. Colors may vary from plant to plant, some with more red others with more yellow. Also known as firewheel or blanketflower, the flowers are pinwheel shaped with petals red at the base and the yellow tips have three teeth at the end. They begin blooming in May and with plentiful rain or supplemental watering, plants can bloom through August. It is named from its resemblance to the bright red, gold and bronze shades of traditional colors of Native American blankets in the Southwest. As bluebonnet season winds down, Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) becomes one of the dominant flowers on the landscape in Central Texas. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |