Large-flowered tickseed

Sun

Full sun; flowering is poorer and stems may flop in partial shade.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Once established, allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings; water during prolonged dry spells to sustain flowering.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, loamy or gravelly soil of low to moderate fertility. Avoid waterlogged ground, especially in winter.

Height

1.5-3 ft (0.45-0.9 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Late spring or early summer into early autumn with deadheading; golden-yellow flowers, with double and semi-double forms available.

Foliage

Green leaves form a basal clump; lower leaves may be simple, while upper leaves are often divided into narrow segments.

Growth

Fast; often flowers in its first year from an early sowing.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.6 ft (0.49 m)

3. After 2 years

   2.2 ft (0.68 m)

   full size

About 2 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

Canada

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Water at soil level during establishment and extended dry weather.
• Avoid heavy feeding; rich soil encourages soft, floppy growth.
• Keep mulch clear of the crown, particularly in damp climates.
• Support tall forms early if they lean in an exposed position.
• Divide healthy clumps in spring every two to three years to maintain vigour.

Pruning. Remove faded flower stems regularly, cutting back to a leaf or side shoot. After the main flush, lightly shear untidy growth to encourage fresh flowers; remove dead stems in late winter or early spring.

Early spring

Remove dead stems and divide established clumps as new growth appears.

Spring

Plant in a sunny, freely draining position and water well while roots establish.

Late spring

Add discreet supports to taller forms before flowering stems lean.

Summer

Deadhead regularly and water during prolonged dry spells.

Late summer

Lightly shear plants after the main flowering flush if growth becomes untidy.

Autumn

Leave a few seedheads for birds if seedlings are welcome; remove the rest to limit self-sowing.

Winter

Keep the crown free of wet leaves and check that water drains away.

• Plant in repeated groups through a sunny border for strong patches of summer yellow.
• Pair with blue or purple salvias and catmint for contrasting flower colours.
• Use among fine-textured ornamental grasses for a loose, meadow-like effect.
• Grow in sunny gravel beds where drainage is sharp and soil is not overly rich.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, New perennial (prairie), Pollinator garden, Dry gravel garden, Wildflower and Hot border.

Plant it with: Catmint, Perennial salvia, Yarrow, Purple coneflower, Prairie dropseed and Blazing star.

Wildlife: The flowers attract bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. Birds may eat seeds from heads left standing.

• Crown and root rot: avoid winter-wet soil, keep mulch off the crown, and remove badly rotted plants.
• Powdery mildew and leaf spots: give plants space for airflow, water at soil level, and remove affected foliage.
• Slugs and snails: protect emerging spring growth with hand-picking or a locally approved iron-based bait used as directed.
• Short-lived or declining clumps: divide vigorous outer sections in spring and replace plants that fail to recover.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses; no part is recognised as a significant poisoning hazard. It is an ornamental plant, not a food crop.

• Lance-leaved tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata)

  Usually has mostly undivided, lance-shaped leaves concentrated near the base; large-flowered tickseed more often has divided upper leaves. Cultivars and hybrids can make identification difficult.

• Threadleaf tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata)

  Has much finer, threadlike foliage and generally smaller flowers on a more finely branched plant.

• Plains coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)

  Is an annual with slender, branching stems and yellow flower rays usually marked with conspicuous reddish-brown patches at their bases.

Coreopsis comes from Greek words meaning bug-like, referring to the seeds, while grandiflora means large-flowered and tickseed also refers to the seeds' appearance.

Propagation. Sow seed in spring, or divide established clumps in spring. Named cultivars may not come true from seed, so use division to retain their characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Coreopsis grandiflora

Native range

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Maine.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.