Tickseed Coreopsis Hybrid
(Coreopsis sp. )
Left: Coreopsis hybrid in the ASMSA garden in Fall 2023
Above: Flowers of tickseed coreopsis
Plant Characteristics
Plant Preference/Growing Conditions:
Tickseed coreopsis grows in all light requirements besides dark. They survive in almost all soils but do best in gravelly soils, sandy soils, sandy loam, medium loam, clay loam, clay, and calcareous and acid-based soils.
Growth Habit/Description:
Tickseed coreopsis grows up to 2’ in height and has leaves 3-4 inches long that are opposite, sometimes alternate near the top where the leaves are fewer. Leaves are deeply cut, almost forming 3 leaflets. Flower heads are yellow, and are about 1 to 1 and a half inches across. The yellow, daisy-like flowers occur singly atop long, naked peduncles.
Bloom Season:
The daisy-like yellow flowers are in bloom from March-August. The plant is considered an evergreen and a perennial.
Fall and/or Winter Interest?
Yes. As an evergreen plant, it is often browsed upon by many wildife species such as white-tailed deer.
Distribution
Habitat: Tickseed coreopsis exists in most states in the continental United States besides the northwest. It is often found in sizable colonies along roadsides and in old fields.
Native to Arkansas? Yes
Native to Garland County? Yes
Endemic to Arkansas? No
Ecological Value
Host Plant for Caterpillars?
Yes. Tickseed coreopsis is a host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly (Chlosyne nycteis).
Other Known Ecological Value?
Yes. Tickseed coreopsis is recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees, such as those in the Halictidae family. It is browsed upon by many large wildlife such as deer, and it attracts many species of butterflies such as buckeyes, fritillaries, and orange sulfurs.
Other Interesting Facts
Origin of Name: Coreopsis means "bug-like" in Greek, while tickseed comes from the fact that the seeds are small and resemble ticks.
Related Plant Species: There are 26 species of the genus Coreopsis that are native to the United States. Some of these include Coreopsis leavenworthii, Coreopsis tinctoria, and Coreopsis palmata.
Use For Food/Medicine:
Traditional Cherokee people used infusions of the roots to help treat diarrhea, and the Lakota people use it for tea.
References
Joyful Butterfly. Lance-Leaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) Plants [Cited 2023, Sept 9]. Available from: https://www.joyfulbutterfly.com/product/lanceleaf-coreopsis-plants/#:~:text=Look%20for%20Buckeyes%2C%20Viceroys%2C%20Eastern,host%20for%20Silvery%20Checkerspot%20Butterflies.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Plant Database. Coreopsis lanceolata [Cited 2023, Sept 9]. Available from: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=cola5
Last edited by Maxine Uriarte, September 2024.