Lanceleaf Tickseed is popular and ideal for the garden, outdoor pots and containers. It has bright yellow spring daisy-like blooms that bloom from spring to early summer on thin, upright stalks. This plant grows in grasslands and meadows. It grows quickly and thrives in a sunny, dry setting. Bees, birds and butterflies are drawn to them, all coreopsis species are considered excellent sources of honey by beekeepers.
Where is lanceleaf tickseed native in North America?
Lance-leaved tickseed is the common name for Coreopsis lanceolate, an aster family flower plant native to North America. It is native to the southern Appalachian states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. It may also be found in a number of locations in Canada and Mexico.
Quick Growing Guide
Botanical Name: Coreopsis lanceolata
Also Called: Lanceleaf tickseed , Lance-Leaved Coreopsis, Tickseed Coreopsis, Sand Coreopsis
En français: Coréopsis lancéolé
See More Plants in this Botanical Family:
Colour:
Sun / Shade:
Water: Drought tolerant
Soil:
Height:
Width:
Pollinators:
Care:
Credit: Stilgherrian from Wentworth Falls, Australia, via Wikimedia Commons
How to care for tickseed plants?
Once established, Tickseed requires little maintenance and is drought-resistant. Maintain moist soil and prevent weed growth by mulching plants with bark mulch. It is extremely crucial that the soil be well-drained during periods of wet summer weather, or the plant will develop crown rot. Well-drained soil brings out the best in Coreopsis, especially in full sun. There are no soil requirements for Coreopsis, and it will exuberantly bloom in various conditions.
It surely depends on the variety and where it is grown, whether tickseed is a perennial or an annual. Warm weather is ideal for these plants, but most types can be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 4–9.
Deadheading spent flowers helps to control self-seeding and encourages more blooming. Remove any sprawling or unkempt foliage. To maintain robustness, division may be required every 2-3 years. If they get excessively sprawling, they can be severely pruned.
How to harvest tickseed seeds?
Tickseed seeds can be purchased or collected from plants in your garden. It is simplest to gather them by pinching off the dead flowers and drying them in a dark, cold spot. When the seeds begin to rattle inside the dead bloom when shaken, it is time to plant them.
Coreopsis is commonly called Tickseed because many think the seed looks like ticks.
Credit: Philmarin, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Where to Plant Coreopsis
This is a low maintenance, drought-tolerant, long-blooming and cheerful plants for a flower border or a filler. A good choice to plant on borders, effective in naturalized areas, native plant gardens, cottage gardens, rock gardens, prairies and meadows.. Good plant for areas with poor, dry soils.
Many blooming plants may be used as companion plants, however we recommend combining with your favourite colours.
Plant in early spring when the risk of frost has passed. Annuals will bloom in the first year, whereas perennials won’t bloom until the second year. They prefer full sun and well-drained soils. To plant using seeds, start the seeds indoors roughly 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date. Plant about 1/2 inch deep and place in sunlight. They will need to be acclimatized to the outdoors for a week or two.
Is Tickseed edible?
This flowering plant has similar blooms to daisies and is useful in cut flower arrangements, border plantings, and cutting gardens. Depending on the cultivar, Tickseed can be edible or medicinal and comes in various colors and sizes.
Toxicity to Cats and Dogs
The coreopsis plant, along with cats, is safe for dogs, birds, horses, and people to consume. For gardeners, this makes it an intriguing flower species. There are no hairs or spikes on their smooth, slender stems. It is deer resistant.
How to divide tickseed plants?
The roots of these plants spread quickly as well as the seeds, forming creeping clumps that can reach around 2 to 3 feet in height when in bloom. Working a shovel under the root ball of the parent tickseed plant, dig around that plant. When the plant feels loose from the ground, carefully remove the root from the root hole. Afterward, separate the root from the large clump on the plant into tinier pieces that can be planted.
Lift the plant upward and remove the plant out of the hole. Carefully separate the large clump into smaller pieces. You can use a sharp knife if the tickseed clump does not break up easily. If possible, make sure that every section of the cluster has roots.
Pests
Tickseed are relatively disease and pest free, but can be inhabited by slugs during moist seasons. Simply ensure quality air flow to divert this pest.
Coreopsis, meanning “always cheerful” was used by Natives to make dyes. It was also boiled into teas before the invention of coffee.
