Coreopsis, tickseed, the charming eye flower

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Bright yellow daisy flowers with a purple heart rise from a bushy, herbaceous clump native to North America, opening from late spring to early fall. Tickseed (Coreopsis) brightens beds, edges, garden boxes and containers, and asks little in return: give it full sun and ordinary, well-drained soil, even dry, and flowers come abundantly.

Both easy to care for and bearing abundant flowers, the ornamental impact is guaranteed, whether in flower beds, garden boxes or containers.

Planting Coreopsis or tickseed

Depending on the place you live, and on the variety you’re growing, Coreopsis either grows as a perennial or an annual.

Perennial tickseed

Coreopsis planting is either in fall or in spring, but avoid times of frost and high temperatures.

• Coreopsis tolerates any type of soil.
• It likes being in the sun, even if the soil tends to be very dry.
• Set a distance between consecutive bases of more or less 16 to 20 inches (30 to 40 cm) and enrich your soil with soil mix.

Propagate it through crown division at the beginning of spring.

• If you don’t touch the flowers, the plant will re-seed itself on its own year after year and is thus very easy to propagate.

Annual coreopsis

Sowing early in the season (April) under shelter or in a nursery, transplant to the ground when the last frost date has passed.

It’s possible to sow directly in the plot after this date (last frost) but the blooming will appear much later.

For an even earlier blooming, such as end of spring, sow directly in the plot in March with protection. A tunnel or cold frame are perfect.

Pruning Coreopsis or tickseed

Cut wilting flowers off as they die away to stimulate new blossoms.

• The grandiflora variety is best off staked.
• Prune back after flowering.

Pull annual varieties out after they’ve given you new seeds to plant for next year. Lay the stems across the growing bed for mulch and fertilizer.

Watering coreopsis

Water in case of strong heat wave or of extended drought.

• As a general pruning practice, cut spent stems back to a healthy bud, leaf or side shoot rather than leaving a stub above the node, since such snags often die back untidily.
• Leave a few of the last flowerheads standing if you want tickseed to self-sow and to feed seed-eating birds.

All there is to know about tickseed

This herbaceous plant native to North America exists both as an annual and as a perennial.

It grows to a bushy shape.

It often brightens flower beds and edges with its bright yellow flowers.

There are a few interesting Coreopsis varieties, for instance:

Perennial coreopsis

Coreopsis grandiflora is remarkable: it grows over 3 feet tall (1m). Its yellow flowers bloom from May to September.

Coreopsis lanceola is shorter, only 1½ feet tall (40-45 cm). Yellow flowers as well.

Coreopsis rosea has flowers that are an elegant pink hue.

To appeal to other senses, try Coreopsis tripteris that releases an anis-like fragrance.

Coreopsis verticillata is taller than the lanceolata, reaching 2 feet / 60 cm very quickly.

There are also a great many hybrid tickseed flowers with many different shapes and colors.

Annual tickseed

This is most often Coreopsis tinctoria which has a beautiful blooming during the entire summer. Flowers are yellow with a purple heart.

Which coreopsis to choose?

The species grown in gardens differ mainly in height, in flower colour and in whether they return each year. Here is what the article says about each one.

Beyond these, many hybrid tickseeds offer further shapes and colours.