Coreopsis 'Baby Sun'

Coreopsis 'Baby Sun': Pint-Sized Gold Made for Snipping

'Baby Sun' is small, round and radiates way more light than something this compact should. Big golden daisies on upright stems, beaming like a toddler who just learned to wave. SOLAR-POWERED CUTENESS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Coreopsis grandiflora 'Baby Sun' (syn. 'Sonnenkind')
• Common Name: Large-flowered Tickseed
• Height: 30–45 cm (12–18 in)
• Spread: 30–50 cm (12–20 in)
• Flowers: Large, single, golden-yellow daisies on upright stems
• Bloom Time: Early summer to early fall (June to September)
• Foliage: Green, lance-shaped leaves in a low, compact mound
• Features: Compact, long blooming with deadheading, rabbit resistant, good for cutting

Where to Plant: Its short, sturdy habit suits the front of a sunny border, the edge of a walk, or a container. Mass several together for a block of gold, or add a few to a cutting bed, since more cutting means more flowers.

Companion Plants: Give 'Baby Sun' a sunny, dry bed with white and soft pink to calm its golden daisies. Sempervivum 'Commander Hay' tucks in at the front at about 10 cm with big red rosettes. Papaver 'Royal Wedding' opens white poppies with a black centre at 75 to 80 cm in May and June. Echinacea PowWow® White adds white coneflowers at 40 to 60 cm from June to September. Panicum virgatum rises behind at 90 to 150 cm in flower, a native switchgrass.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in average, well-drained soil. Rich soil and extra fertilizer make the stems soft and floppy, so go easy. Water regularly until established. After that, it handles heat and short dry spells. Deadhead regularly, or shear the whole plant lightly once the first big flush fades, to keep it blooming into fall. Cut back in late fall or early spring. Like many large-flowered tickseeds, it can be short-lived. Divide every two or three years in early spring to keep it vigorous, or let a few flowers set seed to fill gaps.

History: Large-flowered tickseed, Coreopsis grandiflora, is native to open, sunny, often sandy places in the central and southeastern United States. 'Baby Sun' is a seed-grown selection sold in Germany as 'Sonnenkind', meaning child of the sun.

Final Thoughts: Deadhead it and it keeps going, and the deer and rabbits keep away. Plant a few by the walkway. DAYCARE FOR SUNBEAMS.