How to Grow Coreopsis: The Complete Coreopsis Flower Guide (2024)

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The daisy-like yellow, red, orange, pink, and violet flowers bloom from summer to fall.Even as other summer flowers fade in the fall, coreopsis is often still strong.Countless small blooms sit atop thin, branching stems, making coreopsis suitable for planting in a number of areas. Not only do bees and butterflies love its nectar, but also small birds, such as goldfinches, love its seeds.

This low-maintenanceplant makes few demands. It tolerates heat, humidity, and drought, and when cut, adds cheer to a bouquet. Plant in masses for striking visual effects. It is well suited to beds, borders, andcontainers.

Coreopsis requires full sun and good drainage, but they will grow and bloom (to a lesser extent) in partial sun, as well. It tolerates poor soil but not clay. Add compost to improve drainage beforeplanting.

When to PlantCoreopsis

• Perennial coreopsis plants can be planted anytime from spring through earlyfall.
• Annual varieties should be seeded directly in the ground after the last springfrost.
• If you wish to start earlier indoors, sow indoors6 to 8 weeks before the lastfrost.

How to PlantCoreopsis

• Set perennial transplants 12 to 18 inchesapart.
• If planting annuals, do not cover seeds. They need light forgermination.
• If starting indoors, use a potting mix that containers wither peat moss or perlite. Keep indoor seeds warm (70 degrees F or so), andmoist.
• Water until plants areestablished.

• Water established coreopsis plants during dryspells.
• Be careful with fertilizer which may cause spindly plants with few flowers. Only apply 10-10-10 lightly in spring, ifdesired.
• Deadhead flowers for continuous blooms, removing both the spent flower and itsstalk.
• In mid- to late summer, when flowers fade, shear off 1/4 to 1/2 of growth to encourage late-seasonreblooming.
• After a couple of fall frosts, cut perennials back to 6 to 8 inches to protect the crowns. Remove plant debris. Or, leave the seed heads on the plants in the fall for thebirds.
• Spread a layer of compost, then a layer of mulch, around—not on—thecrown.
• Annual varieties can be dug up and discarded after a fewfrosts.
• Divide perennials every 3 to 4 years in spring or earlyfall.

• Coreopsisverticillata(Threadleaf Tickseed)‘Zagreb’: golden yellow;12 to 18 inches tall;hardyin Zones 4 to9
• C. grandiflora‘SunKiss’: large yellow flowers with burgundy centers; 12 to 14 inches; ideal for cutting; hardy in Zones 4 to9
• C.auriculata‘Snowberry’:creamy white flowerswith burgundy centers; 24 to 30 inches tall;hardy inZones 3 to8
• C. auriculata‘Nana’:yellow flowers; 2 to 4 inches tall; makesa beautiful ground cover; hardyin Zones 4 to9
• Annual native C. tinctoria (aka plain coreopsis and calliopsis): yellow-red flowers with dark-red centers; 2 to 4 feet tall; hardy in Zones 2 to11
• Hybrid C.‘Razzle Dazzle’: large violet-purple blooms with white tips; 16 to 22 inches;hardy in Zones 5 to9
• Hybrid C.‘Moonbeam’: light creamy yellow, 12 to 18 inches tall; hardy in Zones 4 to9

Coreopsis verticillata Moonbeam. Credit:Shutterstock

• Cut flowers for arrangements when they are fully opened. Cutting them in morning isbest.
• Recut the stems at an angle and remove leaves from the bottom half of the stems before placing in avase.
• Change the water completely every 3days.
• Coreopsis will last 7 to 10 days in avase.
• Coreopsis is an excellent cut flower in a mixedbouquet.

Catherine Boeckmann