Scientific Name
Coreopsis auriculata 'Elfin Gold'
Common Name(s)
Dwarf Mouse-ear Tickseed
Scientific Classification
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Coreopsideae
Genus: Coreopsis
Flower
Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Mid-spring to early summer
Description
Coreopsis auriculata 'Elfin Gold' is a dwarf cultivar that typically forms a foliage mat consisting of dense, bushy, slowly-spreading clumps of short broad-oval leaves. It grows up to 5 inches (12.5 cm) tall. Leaves are shiny deep green and up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) long. Flowers are daisy-like, up to 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, bright golden-yellow with yellow rays and yellow center disks. They appear singly on naked stems above the foliage in late spring to early summer.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 4a to 9b: from −30 °F (−34.4 °C) to 30 °F (−1.1 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Most varieties are very easy to grow and are not particular about soil quality or soil pH. Many can be grown from seed, either started indoors, 4-6 weeks before your last expected frost, or direct-seeded outdoors. Many will seed themselves. However, the hybrid varieties do not grow true to seed.
Coreopsis will need regular water when first planted until they are established. After that, they are quite drought-tolerant.
Deadheading will keep the plants blooming throughout the summer. Some of the smaller flowered varieties are difficult to deadhead, and you may prefer to shear the plants once the first flush of flowers fades. They will fill in quickly.
Most Coreopsis plants will form tidy clumps, but some taller species may require staking to look attractive, especially if grown in partial shade.
Although they are rugged plants, they don't tend to live more than 3 to 5 years. A decrease in flowering signals it is time to divide the plants or plant some new ones from seed.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Coreopsis.
Origin
This plant is a dwarf cultivar of Coreopsis auriculata.
Links
- Back to genus Coreopsis
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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