Common Name: ear-leaved tickseed
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asteraceae
Zone: 4 to 9
Height: 0.50 to 0.75 feet
Spread: 0.50 to 0.75 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: Yellow
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Deer, Dry Soil
Culture
Easily grown in medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Plants tolerate humidity and some dry conditions, but are not as drought tolerant as some other species of Coreopsis. Prompt deadheading of spent flower stalks can be tedious for a large planting, but does tend to encourage additional bloom. Plants may be sheared in mid summer to promote a fall rebloom and to remove any sprawling or unkempt foliage. In optimum growing conditions, this stoloniferous perennial will slowly spread in the garden over time to form an attractive planting, but spread is easy to check. Clumps may be divided in spring.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Coreopsis auriculata, commonly called lobed tickseed or mouse ear coreopsis, is a stoloniferous, short-lived, herbaceous perennial that typically grows in a dense, bushy, slowly-spreading clump to 12-18” tall. It is native to open woods in the southeastern U.S. from Virginia to Florida and Mississippi. Mostly basal, hairy, petioled, ovate to elliptic leaves (to 3” long) are deep green. Each leaf has a distinctive pair of small lateral lobes at the base of the blade which resemble the shape of mouse ears, hence the sometimes used common name of mouse ear coreopsis for this plant. Daisy-like flowers (to 2” wide) have 8 yellow rays (each having a three-lobed apex) surrounding a yellow center disk. Flowers bloom primarily from April to June atop upright flower stalks rising 18” tall. A sparse and intermittent rebloom may continue throughout the summer into fall if spent flowers are regularly deadheaded. In hot summer climates like the St. Louis area, plants usually stop blooming in mid-summer with a small rebloom sometimes occurring in fall after temperatures moderate.
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 comes from the Latin ariculatus meaning having an ear-like appendage in obvious reference to the ear-like lobes at the base of each leaf.
‘Nana’ is a dwarf selection that typically grows to 6-9” tall. Excellent for border fronts and edging. It will not come true from seed and should be propagated by division or cuttings.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Tends to sprawl if grown in moist and/or fertile soils. Crown rot may occur if grown in moist, poorly drained soils. Foliage decline in hot summer climates may occur if soils are allowed to dry out.
Uses
Bright flowers and long bloom provide excellent accent in borders or meadows. Best in groups or massed. Also effective as an edger for walks/paths. Will form colonies if allowed to spread.