Plains coreopsis
Small yellow daisies with a deep red eye on thin stems. Likes a dry, sunny spot and flowers from midsummer until frost.
Growing
- annual
- Full sun
- After last frost
- Not covered
- 10 to 21 days at 21 to 24°C (70 to 75°F)
- 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in)
- 61 to 122 cm (24 to 48 in)
- 30 to 46 cm (12 to 18 in)
- Benefits from support
- 85 days
Also called calliopsis or tickseed. A prairie native with thin, wiry stems and feathery leaves, covered in flowers even on poor soil. One plant carries dozens of blooms at once. Give it the dry, sunny spot nothing else wants. This seed was saved from my own plants.
Sowing and starting
Sow outside after your last frost, three or four seeds every 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in). Press the seed onto the surface and don't cover it, since it needs light. It comes up in 10 to 21 days at 21 to 24°C (70 to 75°F).
It comes up thin and grassy and doesn't look like much at first. Once it starts branching it fills out fast. No feeding needed.
Care
Full sun and poor, dry soil. Rich soil makes it tall and floppy with fewer flowers. It grows 61 to 122 cm (24 to 48 in) tall and is the floppiest thing in my garden. Lay Hortonova netting 30 to 46 cm (12 to 18 in) above the bed early, before it needs it. It flowers from midsummer until frost.
When to cut
Cut when the flowers on the stem are just opening. Cut the stems long.
In the vase
When cutting a bouquet, strip any leaves that would sit under water. They turn the water murky fast. Change the water every few days for the longest lasting bouquet. As flowers fade, you can remove them and rearrange the remaining flowers.
Saving the seed
The spent heads dry into little brown buttons full of flat seed. Strip them into a bowl once they're crisp. It self sows freely, so expect volunteers.