Moonbeam coreopsis

Sun

Full sun is best; light shade is tolerated, but flowering is reduced and stems may lean.

Water

Water regularly during the first growing season. Once established, water during prolonged dry spells; avoid constantly damp soil.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, loamy or gravelly soil of low to moderate fertility. Tolerates a range of soil pH, but struggles in heavy, waterlogged ground, especially in winter.

Height

1.5-2 ft (0.45-0.6 m)

Spread

1.5-2 ft (0.45-0.6 m), gradually widening through short underground stems

Flowers

Pale lemon-yellow daisies from early summer into early autumn, with further flushes encouraged by trimming.

Foliage

Fine, deeply divided green leaves give the plant a light, feathery appearance; foliage dies back in winter.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

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

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

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

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

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.2 ft (0.37 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.7 ft (0.53 m)

   full size

About 3 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

the US

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water newly planted clumps when the surrounding soil begins to dry.
• Avoid rich feeding; a light spring dressing of compost is usually enough.
• Keep mulch away from the crown and improve drainage where winter soil stays wet.
• Divide crowded or thinning clumps every two to three years in spring.
• Grow in full sun and avoid overfeeding to keep stems upright without staking.

Pruning. After the first main flush fades, shear back by about one-third to encourage fresh growth and more flowers. Cut dead stems to just above ground level in late winter or early spring, before new shoots lengthen.

Early spring

Cut away dead stems before new growth develops.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps, keeping the crown at soil level, and water thoroughly.

Late spring

Weed around emerging shoots and apply a light mulch without covering the crown.

Early summer

Check new plants during dry weather and water deeply when needed.

Midsummer

Shear off faded flowers and about one-third of the leafy growth after the first main flush.

Autumn

Check that fallen leaves or wet mulch are not smothering the crown; leave sound stems standing until late winter.

• Plant repeated groups along a sunny border edge for a low ribbon of pale yellow.
• Combine with purple salvia or catmint for contrasting flowers and soft, interwoven foliage.
• Use among fine ornamental grasses in informal perennial planting for a long summer display.
• Plant in sunny gravel beds where drainage is sharp and soil is not heavily enriched.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, New perennial (prairie), Pollinator garden, Low-maintenance, Dry gravel garden and Pastel border.

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

Wildlife: The flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees, butterflies and other visiting insects. It is generally less attractive to browsing deer than many soft-leaved border plants, but it is not deer-proof.

• Crown or root rot in wet soil: improve drainage or move the plant to a raised, freer-draining position; discard badly rotted clumps.
• Powdery mildew in crowded planting: divide congested clumps, allow air circulation and water the soil rather than the leaves.
• Slugs and snails damaging young shoots: inspect emerging growth and use hand-picking or labelled iron-phosphate bait where needed.
• Floppy stems or weak flowering: provide more sun and reduce fertiliser; rich soil encourages leafy growth at the expense of a compact shape.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses; no part is recognised as poisonous. It is an ornamental rather than a food plant, and eating plant material can still cause stomach upset.

• Zagreb threadleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb')

  Has similar fine foliage but stronger golden-yellow flowers and usually a shorter, denser habit; Moonbeam flowers are pale lemon yellow.

• Lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)

  Has much broader, lance-shaped leaves, often clustered near the base, and larger golden-yellow flowers rather than Moonbeam's fine foliage and small pale blooms.

• Whorled tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata)

  The typical species has the same threadlike leaves but usually deeper yellow flowers and a taller habit; Moonbeam is a selected pale-flowered cultivar.

Coreopsis comes from Greek words meaning bug-like, referring to the seed's appearance, while verticillata means whorled, referring to the leaf arrangement.

Propagation. Divide established clumps in spring, retaining healthy roots and shoots on each piece. Softwood cuttings can also be taken in spring or early summer; use vegetative propagation to preserve the named cultivar.

Accepted botanical name

Coreopsis verticillata

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states. Introduced in Canada.

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