Illustration
Photo credits and licenses
Real photographs from naturalists and photographers worldwide, each used under its own license. Credit: Photo by laiet17 / iNaturalist (CC0), Photo by Laura Gaudette / iNaturalist (CC BY), Photo by Laura Gaudette / iNaturalist (CC BY) and Photo by Laura Gaudette / iNaturalist (CC BY). How photos are sourced →
Coreopsis
Coreopsis
Also called tickseed
Coreopsis blooms from June through September.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Coreopsis
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–9. Expect it to reach about 2 ft tall and 2.5 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (a house reading).
Pets
- No toxic listing found for dogs and cats in the sources we check.
Lists differ and none is complete. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call a veterinarian or a pet poison helpline.
No toxicity note is on file for Coreopsis. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Nine facts were checked against named botanical sources, each recorded beside the sources that carried it: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, the trait tags, and years to mature size, which rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one and is marked so. Soil, diseases, pests, toxicity and the plant's own names have not yet been read for this plant, and its trait tags are the ones a feature uses rather than every word a page prints. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Coreopsis
Plant Coreopsis in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 9, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from June to September.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Coreopsis get?
2 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult2.5 ftwideSee Coreopsis in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Coreopsis
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Coreopsis about 2.5 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Coreopsis to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Coreopsis' height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags were checked against 18 published sources on October 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- plantdatabase.kpu.caKwantlen Polytechnic Universityheight, spread, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- Portland Nurseryheight, spread, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- uidaho.eduUniversity of Idaho Extensionheight, spread, hardiness zones, bloom months and color and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionFlowers: Tickseedheight, hardiness zones, sun, bloom months and color and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finder, Coreopsis verticillataheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionGardener Plant Toolbox, Coreopsis grandifloraheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- American Meadowsheight, sun, water and trait tags
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterClemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Centerheight, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Iowa State University ExtensionYard and Gardenheight, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterCoreopsis lanceolataheight, sun and trait tags
- University of Georgia ExtensionUniversity of Georgia Cooperative Extension, Bulletin B944 Flowering P...height, sun and trait tags
- Utah State University Extensionheight and bloom months and color
- American MeadowsAll About Coreopsisheight and trait tags
- NC State Extensionbloom months and color
- Proven WinnersHow to Grow Coreopsissun and trait tags
- Chicago Botanic GardenRichard Hawke, Fine Gardening trial reporthardiness zones
- Mississippi State University ExtensionServicetrait tags
- University of Florida IFASExtension, Gardening Solutionstrait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Where it grows wild
Native to North America as a group
The 21 wild species sold under this name grow in 47 states and 7 provinces.
United States: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and 35 more
Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan
Range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 4.0, adapted) and USDA PLANTS. How the native range is credited.
Comes in 11 varieties across 4 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
Across the group, bloom runs from June through September: Coreopsis opens first (June) and is also the last to finish (September).
- Crème Brûlée
- Early Sunrise
- Jethro Tull
- Mercury Rising
- Moonbeam
- Pink Sapphire
- Pumpkin Pie
- Red Satin
- Route 66
- Sienna Sunset
- Zagreb
Compare every variety in the Coreopsis group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coreopsisthis page | Yellow | Jun–Sep | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 2 ft × 2.5 ft |
| Crème Brûlée | Yellow | Jun–Sep | Zones 4–9 | Full sun | 24 in × 24 in |
| Early Sunrise | Yellow | Jun–Sep | Zones 4–9 | Full sun | 20 in × 20 in |
| Jethro Tull | Yellow | Jun–Aug | Zones 4–9 | Full sun | 16 in × 16 in |
| Mercury Rising | Red | Jun–Sep | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 1.5 ft × 2.5 ft |
| Moonbeam | Yellow | Jun–Sep | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 20 in × 20 in |
| Pink Sapphire | Pink | Jun–Sep | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 14 in × 16 in |
| Pumpkin Pie | Orange | Jun–Sep | Zones 9 | Full sun | 16 in × 16 in |
| Red Satin | Red | Jun–Sep | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 20 in × 20 in |
| Route 66 | Yellow | Jun–Sep | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 24 in × 20 in |
| Sienna Sunset | Orange | Jun–Sep | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 16 in × 16 in |
| Zagreb | Yellow | Jun–Sep | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 16 in × 16 in |
Good to know about Coreopsis
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
The showy color cultivars can feed pollinators less well than the plain species. For a pollinator garden, choose the straight species or a close selection. per Xerces
Lifespan varies by species
Big-flowered types (large-flower, lanceleaf, downy) are short-lived: divide every 2 to 3 years or let some self-seed. Threadleaf is a long-lived, reliable clump. per NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden
Shear for a fall rebloom
Deadhead through summer to prolong bloom, then shear the whole plant back after the first flush for a strong fall rebloom and less self-seeding. per NC State
Wants lean, well-drained soil
Prefers lean, well-drained ground, even poor sandy or rocky soil. Rich, moist soil makes it sprawl and flop; wet, poorly drained soil invites crown rot. per NC State
Deer and rabbit resistant
Reported resistant to deer, and to rabbits for threadleaf types; very hungry wildlife may still sample it. per NC State
Powdery mildew, usually cosmetic
Generally trouble-free. Powdery mildew is the main issue, worst on threadleaf and hybrid cultivars and usually cosmetic; good air circulation is the main defense. per NC State
What pairs well with Coreopsis
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Texas Mountain Laurel
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Candytuft
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
False Indigo
Shares full sun and low water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Howard McMinn Manzanita
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late winter, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Blue Princess Holly
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Prairie Junegrass
Shares full sun and low water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Pink Muhly Grass
Shares full sun and low water; overlaps, then carries the display into late fall; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Explore similar plants
You might also like
Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.