Common Name: lanceleaf coreopsis
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asteraceae
Zone: 4 to 9
Height: 0.75 to 1.00 feet
Spread: 0.75 to 1.00 feet
Bloom Time: June to August
Bloom Description: Yellow with mahogany ring around central disk.
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize
Flower: Showy, Good Cut
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil
Culture
Easily grown in dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Thrives in poor, sandy or rocky soils with good drainage. Tolerant of heat, humidity and drought. Prompt deadheading of spent flower stalks encourages additional bloom and prevents any unwanted self-seeding. Freely self-seeds, and in optimum growing conditions will naturalize to form large colonies. Plants may be cut back hard in summer if foliage sprawls or becomes unkempt. If grown in borders, division may be needed every 2-3 years to maintain robustness.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Coreopsis lanceolata, commonly called lanceleaf coreopsis, is a Missouri native wildflower which typically grows to 2' tall and occurs in prairies, glades, fields and roadsides primarily in the Ozark region of the State. Features solitary, yellow, daisy-like flowers (1-2" diameter) with eight yellow rays (toothed at the tips) and flat yellow center disks. Flowers bloom atop slender, erect stems from spring to early summer. Narrow, hairy, lance-shaped leaves (2-6" long) appear primarily near the base of the plant in basal tufts. Lower basal leaves are mostly entire, while smaller stem leaves may be pinnately lobed. Plants in the genus Coreopsis are sometimes commonly called lanceleaf tickseed in reference to the resemblance of the seeds to ticks. Many excellent cultivars of this species are available in commerce.
The genus name comes from the Greek words koris meaning "bug" and opsis meaning "like" in reference to the shape of the seed which resembles a bug or tick.
Specific epithet means lance-shaped.
'Summer Sprite' is a cultivar that features solitary, daisy-like flowers (2" diameter) with yellow rays (lobed at the tips), flat darker yellow center disks and a broad mahogany-red ring around the central disk. Flowers appear on erect stems rising to only 10-12" tall. Flowers typically bloom from late spring to late summer and sometimes well into fall, though bloom period can be much shorter if spent flowers are not regularly deadheaded.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Can be an aggressive self-seeder. Tends to sprawl, particularly if grown in moist and/or fertile soils. Crown rot may occur if grown in moist, poorly drained soils.
Uses
Best naturalized in native wildflower gardens, rock gardens, meadows or prairies. Good plant for areas with poor, dry soils. Can be effective in borders, but self-seeding tendencies may need to be kept in check to maintain a more formal appearance.