Coreopsis - Using Coreopsis in the Flower Garden

Overview:

Coreopsis are sunny flower border work horses. They are great additions to any garden design, blooming most of the summer. Coreopsis make great garden edging as well as nice cut flowers.

Latin Name:

Coreopsis

Common Name(s): Tickseed

Zone:

4-9

Size:

Varies with variety

Exposure:

Full sun Bloom Period/Days to Harvest

Bloom Period/Days to Harvest:

Early summer through Fall

Description:

There is a good amount of variety among Coreopsis species. C. grandiflora has bright yellow flowers on tall stems that bloom all summer. C. rosea has finely textured leaves with pink daisy-like flowers with yellow centers. The increasingly popular C. verticillata is called the thread leaf coreopsis because of its extremely fine and ferny leaves. The flowers are also delicate and profuse. A red C. verticillata has recently been introduced.

Cultural Notes:

Can fall prey to snails, slugs and fungal diseases, but generally problem free and very easy and rewarding to grow.

Maintenance Coreopsis will bloom longer if deadheaded. However the profusion of delicate blooms can make deadheading a nightmare. An easier solution is to simply wait until the first flush of bloom wanes and sheer the entire plant back. It will recover quickly.

The taller varieties will benefit from staking.

Design Tips:

Coreopsis work well in any type of border. Because of their long bloom time, they make great fillers or edgers. The yellows pair especially well with blues and lavenders. They are also an excellent cut flower.

Suggested Varieties:

C. grandiflora ‘Early Sunrise” - Large, semi-double bright yellow flowers starting in early summer (1-2')
C. verticillata ‘Creme Brulee’ -
C. verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ - buttery yellow flowers, extremely airy. Short lived. (1½ - 2')
C. verticillata ‘Zagreb’ - Golden yellow flowers. One of the most dependable verticillatas. (1')
C. rosea ‘Nana’ - Mauve-pink, dwarf variety that spreads nicely (8")