Common Name: tickseed
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asteraceae
Zone: 3 to 9
Height: 1.00 to 1.50 feet
Spread: 0.75 to 1.00 feet
Bloom Time: June to August
Bloom Description: Yellow disk with white rays
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Deer, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil
Culture
Easily grown in medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Unlike other species of Coreopsis, C. rosea and its cultivars have very little drought tolerance and need consistently moist soils in order to thrive. Avoid poorly-drained heavy clay soils, however. Prompt deadheading of spent flower stalks can be tedious for a large planting, but does tend to encourage additional bloom and prevent any unwanted self-seeding. Plants may be sheared in late summer to promote a fall rebloom and to tidy the planting (stems often become matted as summer progresses). In optimum growing conditions, plants will spread in the garden by rhizomes and self-seeding to form a dense ground cover, sometimes to the point of being considered aggressive.
Although seed companies sometimes offer 'Alba' for sale, it may not reliably come true from seed in the pure white ray-flowered form.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Coreopsis rosea, sometimes commonly called pink coreopsis or pink threadleaf coreopsis, is primarily native to wet sandy soils along water margins in coastal plain areas from Nova Scotia to Maryland. It is noted for being the only coreopsis with pink flowers. It closely resembles C. verticillata in appearance and habit, but lacks the latter's heat and drought tolerance. It is a rhizomatous perennial which typically grows in dense, bushy clumps to 1-2' tall. Features daisy-like flowers (1/2 to 1" diameter) with pink untoothed rays and yellow center disks. Flowers appear singly on short stalks in a profuse and lengthy summer bloom. Whorls of linear, grass-like, light green leaves lend a fine-textured and airy appearance to the plant.
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 rose-colored.
Plants in the genus Coreopsis are sometimes commonly called tickseed in reference to the resemblance of the seeds to ticks.
'Alba' (sometimes commonly called white coreopsis) is a white flowered form of the pink species.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Can be an aggressive spreader. Crown rot may occur if grown in moist, poorly drained soils. Performs best in cool summer climates, and can appear rather scraggly with poor flowering in the hot and humid summer conditions of the deep South. Weak plant stems tend to sprawl and mat, particularly in hot and humid climates with periodic heavy summer rainfall.
Uses
Long summer bloom and airy foliage provide good accent in borders or rock gardens. Good small area ground cover. Also effective as an edger for borders, foundations and walks/paths. Naturalized areas, native plant gardens or cottage gardens.