Scientific Name
Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt.
Common Name(s)
Plains Coreopsis, Annual Coreopsis, Golden Tickseed, Painted Tickseed, Calliopsis, Garden Tickseed, Goldenwave
Synonym(s)
Calliopsis cardaminifolia, Coreopsis cardaminifolia
Scientific Classification
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Coreopsideae
Genus: Coreopsis
Flower
Color: Yellow and maroon or brown
Bloom Time: Mid-summer
Description
Coreopsis tinctoria is an annual plant with smooth, stiff, branching stems. It grows up to 4 feet (1.2 m) tall and 18 inches (46 cm) wide. Leaves are glabrous, pinnately divided, tending to thin at the top of the plant, and up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) long.
The flowers are brilliant yellow with maroon or brown centers of various sizes and up to 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. Flowering typically occurs in mid-summer. The tiny, slender seeds germinate in fall or early spring.
How to Grow and Care
Most varieties are easy to grow and are not particular about soil quality or 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 pretty drought-tolerant.
Deadheading will keep the plants blooming throughout the summer. However, some of the smaller flowered varieties are difficult to deadhead, and you may prefer to shear the plants once the first flush of flowers fade. After that, 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 seeds.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Coreopsis.
Origin
Coreopsis tinctoria is native to Canada, Northeast Mexico, and much of the United States.
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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