Coreopsis lanceolata

Coreopsis lanceolata: Sunny Yellow Daisies for Lean, Dry Ground

Lance-Leaved Tickseed is the native wildflower that throws a party and invites everyone back next year. Bright golden daisies with toothed petal tips on long, bare stems, plus seeds the birds fight over. IT SELF-SEEDS, SO EXPECT SEQUELS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Coreopsis lanceolata
• Common Name: Lance-Leaved Tickseed
• Height: 30–60 cm (1–2 ft)
• Spread: 30–50 cm (1–1.5 ft)
• Flowers: Bright golden-yellow daisies about 5 cm (2 in) across, with toothed petal tips, held on long, mostly leafless stems
• Bloom Time: Late spring to midsummer (May to July), with more flowers into late summer if deadheaded
• Foliage: Narrow, lance-shaped green leaves, mostly at the base of the plant
• Features: Seeds feed birds, self-seeds

Where to Plant: Use it in a meadow garden, on a sunny slope, in a dry border or in a boulevard bed where lean soil defeats fussier plants. It's also good for giving a new garden colour quickly, and the long stems make good cut flowers. It self-seeds, so give it room, and leave a few seed heads if you want goldfinches visiting in late summer.

Companion Plants: Verbena hastata 'Blue Spires' rises to 120 cm with slender blue spikes from July to September, after the tickseed's main flush. Monarda 'Gardenview Scarlet' adds red blooms from July to September that bees and hummingbirds visit. Persicaria 'Dimity' makes a low pink edge from June to September. This native-style mix keeps a sunny bed in flower all summer.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in average to sandy, well-drained soil. Rich soil and fertilizer make it floppy, so skip both. Water through the first season, then only in long dry spells. It tolerates clay if water doesn't sit around the crown. Deadhead regularly to stretch the bloom season. Leave some flowers to set seed if you want the patch to renew itself, or remove them all if you'd rather it stayed put. Individual plants are short-lived, so self-sown seedlings are how it sticks around. Cut back in late fall or early spring. Clumps can be divided in spring.

History: Lance-leaved tickseed is native across much of eastern and central North America, including southern Ontario, where it grows in sand prairies, open dunes and dry clearings. The common name tickseed comes from the small, flat seeds, which look a little like ticks.

Final Thoughts: Drought tolerant, bee and butterfly friendly and gloriously low effort. Plant a few and let it MULTIPLY LIKE GOSSIP.