Garden Coreopsis
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BY C L AU D I A WAT S O N N.C. Cooperative Extension Service Master Gardener Volunteer
20 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2021
oreopsis, a native of North and South America, is prized for its dependable nature, colorful, daisy-like flowers and long bloom period, making it a gardener’s must-have perennial. Tall varieties can reach 4 feet in height and are suitable for the back of the border and cutting gardens. Shorter, as well as mounding varieties, are more delicate and lovely for edging and containers. With colors ranging from golden yellow, rosy-pink, red and even a twotone apricot-pink that turns hot orange—coreopsis heats up summer. Very tolerant of soil types and conditions, coreopsis does best in full sun with moist, well-drained soil. Plant coreopsis in the spring and space them 12–18 inches apart. Loosen the soil to a
depth of 12–15 inches, and then mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost. Remove the plant from its container and place it in the hole, so the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. Fill in around the plant and water thoroughly. Stake tall varieties to keep them upright. Propagate by division in the spring. Cut back hard if they become too sprawl. The plant is resistant to deer. Coreopsis can be an aggressive self-seeder and may form colonies, so plant it in areas where this would not be a problem. Deadhead the faded flowers to control self-seeding and encourage fresh blooms. When it needs to dividing, be sure to offer an occasional clump to a friend.
