Culture: Easily grown in dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Thrives in poor, sandy or rocky soils with good drainage. Plants grown in dry soils tend to be shorter, open and somewhat spindly. Plants grown in medium moisture soils with consistent moisture tend to be taller and fuller. Tolerant of heat, humidity and drought. Prompt deadheading of spent flowers may encourage additional bloom and prevents any unwanted self-seeding. Freely self-seeds, and in optimum growing conditions will naturalize to form large colonies. If grown in borders, division may be needed every 2-3 years to maintain robustness.
Noteworthy Characteristics: Coreopsis tripteris, commonly called tall coreopsis or tall tickseed, is a tall, slender Missouri native wildflower which typically grows 4-8′ tall and typically occurs in prairies, dry open woods and wood margins, and along roadsides and railroad tracks throughout the state. Features solitary, yellow, daisy-like flowers (1-2″ diameter) with eight yellow rays (rounded and untoothed at the tips) and flat brown center disks. Flowers bloom atop slender, erect stems from mid to late summer into fall. Stalked, anise-scented stem leaves are tripartite (divided into three narrow lance-shaped segments).
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 refers to the leaves being divided into three narrow lance-shaped segments. Plants in the genus Coreopsis are sometimes commonly called tickseed in reference to the resemblance of the seeds to ticks.
Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. Can be an aggressive self-seeder if spent blooms are not promptly deadheaded. Tends to sprawl, particularly if grown in moist and/or fertile soils. Crown rot may occur if grown in moist, poorly drained soils. Taller plants may need some support, particularly if exposed to high winds.
Uses: Tall plant for border rears. Naturalize in native wildflower gardens, meadows or prairies. Good plant for areas with poor, dry soils.
All plant information courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden
As its name implies, Coreopsis tripteris (Tall Coreopsis) stands quite tall reaching heights of 7′ and in some cases up to 9′. Because of its height, it would be best to start with a few plants to form a loose colony. Arranged in a flat-topped cluster, the flowers comprise a disk of yellow, deepening to purple-red. This Coreopsis blooms late-summer and into fall, unlike the spring-summer blooms of Prairie Coreopsis and Lance-leaved Coreopsis. The leaves are divided into three lobes with the lower leaves on the stem being quite large, up to 6″. Tall Coreopsis can be aggressive, especially in recently disturbed, moist soils, and therefore may not be suitable for small landscape plantings. Also called Tickseed.
Indoors anytime
Outdoors Seed: Spring or autumn.
Bulb: Autumn. Bulbs grown from seed flower in 2-4 years.
Depth Seed: Surface.
Bulb: cover w/ twice diameter of soil.
Difficult. Place seed in plastic bag together with moist growing medium and refrigerate for 30 days. Provide light and 55-65 degrees F. Grow in flats for 1 year, then pot up singly and sink pots in the ground outdoors in Spring. PM Germination Code C(60) see Appendix
Divide spring-flowering bulbs in late summer, summer-flower bulbs in spring; or grow from seed. Many species self seed and become invasive.
Price range: $6.00 through $12.00
