Common Name: Star Tickseed, Downy Tickseed

Full to part sun; medium to dry moisture level; tolerant of a wide range of soils including sandy, rocky and clay; slightly acid to neutral to slightly alkaline pH. 2-4 feet height by 1½-2½ feet spread; blooms in spring and potentially through summer into fall; yellow flowers; self-sows readily.

Germination Code:  A

Native Region: Scattered statewide but most concentrated in the Highland Rim

Low maintenance plant with showy flowers. This species of coreopsis has a clump-forming growth habit but is still somewhat reliably perennial. It has an especially long flowering season, from early summer to fall, and is disease resistant. Habit is a bit lax, with a tendency to sprawl, so may not be good for the formal garden. However, planted in large groups, it makes a long lasting mass of bright color.

Thrives in poor, sandy or rocky soils. Tolerant of heat, humidity and drought. Best in full sun. Native to rocky, open woods; bluff bases; valleys; gravelly stream beds; rocky edges along streams; alluvial thickets and railroad right-of-ways.

Short-lived but freely self-seeds. Plants can be cut back hard in summer if they become sprawling and unattractive. Bloom period will probably shorten if spent flowers are not regularly removed.

‘Sunshine Superman’ is the most commonly available form of C. pubescens at nurseries and is a compact cultivar at 12-18 inches height. Although this is a vegetative clone, it may self-seed fairly true to form where it is happy.

Attracts butterflies, moths and bees.