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Coreopsis tinctoria

plains coreopsis

Asteraceae Central and North America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

Overview

Plains coreopsis is a fast-growing annual in the aster family, forming an open, branching plant 1-4 feet (30-120 cm) tall and 6-18 inches (15-45 cm) wide on slender, smooth stems. The leaves are finely divided into narrow segments, giving the lower plant a thread-like, airy texture. From early summer into autumn the stems carry many daisy-like flower heads about 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4 cm) across. Each head has yellow ray florets marked with a red-brown band at the base, surrounding a dark reddish-brown center, though color varies from all-yellow to nearly all-mahogany in seed strains. Coreopsis tinctoria blooms heavily over a long season and self-sows freely, returning year after year where the ground is left open. As an annual it dies at the end of the season, and tall plants in rich soil or shade can flop and need support. It grows quickly from seed sown in place and tolerates heat, poor soil, and short drought, which makes it a frequent component of wildflower and meadow seed mixes.

Native Range

Native to much of North America, especially the central plains and prairies of the United States and Canada, and spread well beyond its original range. Coreopsis tinctoria grows in moist swales, disturbed ground, roadsides, and prairie edges.

Suggested Uses

Sown in wildflower meadows, cottage gardens, cutting beds, and naturalized plantings where a tall, free-flowering annual fills space quickly. The long stems suit cut-flower use, and the seed heads draw small birds. It mixes with grasses and other prairie annuals.

How to Identify

Identified by daisy-like heads of yellow ray florets, each with a red-brown blotch at the base around a dark central disk, on tall, slender, much-branched stems. The leaves are finely cut into thread-like segments, mostly toward the lower stem. The bicolor yellow-and-mahogany flowers and the airy, divided foliage separate it from perennial Coreopsis spp. species with broader leaves.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 4'

Width/Spread6" - 1'6"

Colors

Flower Colors

yellow

red

brown

Foliage Colors

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~14 weeks

Summer Fall

Blooms from early summer to autumn, often June through September, with the heaviest flush in midsummer. Plants flower continuously when spent heads are removed, slowing once they set seed. In hot, dry sites the season shortens as plants seed early and decline.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

yellow with red-brown base

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun in average to lean, well-drained soil with a pH from 5.5 to 7.5. Seed is sown directly in place in spring and germinates quickly in warm soil, and it can also self-sow from year to year. The plant tolerates heat, poor ground, and short drought, but rich soil and shade produce tall, weak stems that flop. It needs no fertilizer and flowers more freely in lean soil than in rich. Removing spent flowers extends bloom and limits self-seeding where that is unwanted. Plants finish at the end of the season and are pulled once seed has shed.

Pruning

Spent flower heads are sheared off through the season to prolong bloom and curb self-seeding. Cutting plants back by a third in midsummer can renew leggy, flopping growth. Finished plants are pulled at the end of the season.