Coreopsis grandiflora (Large Flower Tickseed)

A showstopper in the summer garden, Coreopsis grandiflora (Large Flower Tickseed) is a clump-forming perennial wildflower boasting a profusion of showy bright yellow flowers, 2-3 in. across (5-7 cm), from late spring to late summer – if spent flowers are deadheaded. Large Flower Tickseed is an excellent pollinator plant, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects. The blossoms are held high above the foliage on slender, erect stems clad with pinnatifid and deeply lobed bright green leaves. These wiry stems sway gently in the slightest breeze and create sunny movement in the landscape. The lowermost leaves are lobeless and linear. Tolerant to heat, humidity, and drought, Large Flower Tickseed is a real workhorse in hot and often dry summer gardens. It may not always be reliably perennial, but it reseeds itself, keeping a cheerful presence in the landscape. Use in the border or rock gardens and in swaths to provide a long season of color.

• Grows up to 18-30 in. tall (45-75 cm) and 12-18 in. across (30-45 cm). Spreads by rhizomes and freely self-seeds in the landscape, becoming somewhat weedy.
• Performs best in full sun in dry to medium, well-drained soils. Thrives in poor, sandy, or rocky soils and is drought tolerant once established. Tolerates clay soil as long as drainage is excellent.
• Provide consistent fertilization for optimum flowering and growth.
• No serious pest or disease issues. Keep an eye out for powdery mildew, leaf spot, and rust. Crown rot may occur in poorly drained soils. Coreopsis is ignored by deer
• Very versatile, it is a welcomed addition to cottage gardens, rock gardens, naturalized areas, prairies and meadows. Spectacular in mass plantings.
• Deadheading of spent flowers will keep the plant blooming. If allowed to go to seed, blooming will stop and the plant will tend to decline. Cut back hard in summer if foliage sprawls or becomes unkempt.
• Easily grown from seed. Mature plants may be increased by division in the spring or fall. Divide every 3-4 years to maintain robustness.
• Native to central and eastern North America.