Gilia Instructions

Size & Growth

• These enthusiastic wildflowers grow to be between 1′ and 3′ feet high. 
• They spread easily through natural reseeding.
• The plants’ stems are stout and sturdy. 
• Leaves are small and bluish green. 
• Both the stems and the leaves are covered with a thick coating of sticky fur.

Flowering & Fragrance

Although a powdery baby blue is the most common color for Thimble Flower, it also comes in shades of violet, lavender, and deeper blue. 

The flower heads consist of many tiny blossoms arranged in a globe formation. 

Bloom time lasts from early in the spring until midsummer.

The fragrant blooms are very attractive to beneficial wildlife such as hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees.

Light & Temperature

Blue Thimble Flower can do well in all light settings ranging from full shade to full sun, but the plants do best in full sun. 

Watering & Feeding

Globe Gilia is drought tolerant and requires very little water. 

Once established, these wildflowers appreciate an occasional deep soaking.

Fertilizing is not necessary, but mulching with compost through the winter will help enrich the soil for healthier spring plants and blooms.

Soil & Transplanting

These easy-going native plants do well in all sorts of soil, ranging from sand to loam to clay. 

A neutral pH level of about 7.0 is best. 

The most important quality of the soil is it be well-draining.

There’s no need to transplant Queen Anne’s Thimbles as the plant grows best from seed sown directly onto the soil.

These wildflowers are carefree. 

If you wish to limit self-seeding, deadhead the blooms before they go to seed. 

This is accomplished by shearing or mowing. 

You may wish to mow your field of Thimble Flower in late autumn for a tidier winter appearance and a clean, new start in spring.