Coreopsis 'Early Sunrise'

Coreopsis 'Early Sunrise': Ruffled Gold Built for Hot Spots

'Early Sunrise' is up before your alarm, already wearing ruffles and drinking its coffee in full sun. Semi-double golden flowers that don't wilt when the thermometer starts bragging. THE MORNING PERSON YOU ACTUALLY LIKE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Coreopsis grandiflora 'Early Sunrise'
• Common Name: Large-flowered Tickseed
• Height: 45 cm (18 in)
• Spread: 38–60 cm (15–24 in)
• Flowers: Semi-double, ruffled, golden-yellow, about 5 cm (2 in) across, with an orange-yellow centre
• Bloom Time: Early summer to late summer (June to August), longer with deadheading
• Foliage: Green, lance-shaped leaves in a tidy clump
• Features: Long blooming, heat tolerant, good for cutting

Where to Plant: Plant it at the front or middle of a sunny border, in a cottage garden, or in a big container. It is an easy way to fill a hot, dry spot near the driveway, and massing it gives a bold sweep of gold.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Early Sunrise' in a hot, dry, sunny bed with scarlet, red and hot pink for a fiery look. Gaillardia SpinTop® Red adds warm red daisies at 20 to 25 cm from June to September. Papaver 'Beauty of Livermere' opens deep scarlet poppies at 60 to 90 cm in May and June. Agastache 'Rosie Posie' brings hot pink spikes at 46 to 56 cm from July to September. Andropogon 'Red October' rises behind at 150 to 180 cm, turning deep red in fall.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in average to sandy, well-drained soil. Heavy, wet clay is the main thing it won't forgive, so improve clay with compost or grow it in a raised bed. Water well until established, then only in long dry spells. Skip the fertilizer. Deadhead regularly, or shear the plant back lightly after the first big flush, to keep flowers coming. Cut it back in late fall or early spring. Like most large-flowered tickseeds, it can be short-lived. Divide every two or three years in spring to keep it going, or let a few seed heads ripen so seedlings can fill in.

History: 'Early Sunrise' is a selection of large-flowered tickseed, Coreopsis grandiflora, a species native to the central and southeastern United States. It won a Fleuroselect Gold Medal in 1989 and the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, and it was also an All-America Selections winner.

Final Thoughts: Heat tolerant, drought tolerant once settled, deer resistant and great for cutting. SNOOZE BUTTON NOT INCLUDED.