Large-flowered tickseed

Large-flowered tickseed: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Bushy clump 45–60 cm tall and about 45 cm wide, with slender, upright flower stems.

Leaves

Lance-shaped and entire at the base, deeply cut into three to five narrow lobes higher up; fresh green.

Flowers

Golden yellow flower heads 4–6 cm across, with toothed petals around a yellow to orange centre; single, semi-double or double. From June to September.

Fruit

Small, flat, winged seeds; it may self-seed a little.

Lifespan

Often only two or three years, especially in heavy or wet soil. Renewing or resowing keeps it in the garden.

Flowering: June–September · Sowing: February–April · Plants: April–May · Pruning: March and June–September

Why grow it?

• One of the longest-flowering perennials: from June to September, if you deadhead regularly.
• Bright yellow and cheerful, ideal for a sunny border, a gravel garden or a pot.
• Bees, hoverflies and butterflies visit the flowers.
• An excellent cut flower that lasts well in the vase.
• Copes better with drought and poor soil than with wet roots.

Large-flowered tickseed: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: the sunnier, the more flowers.
• Light, free-draining soil: sand or loam, acid to chalky.
• Dry to moderately moist; wet soil in winter is its worst enemy.
• Space plants 30–45 cm apart, ideally in groups of three or more.
• Rich, heavily fed soil makes the plant floppy and shorter-lived.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.6 m tall, 0.45 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Catmint: Blue flowers beside the golden yellow, for the same dry, sunny spot.
• Sage: Purple spikes that contrast beautifully with the yellow flowers.
• Lavender: Grey foliage and purple flowers in a sunny gravel garden.
• Yarrow: Flat flower heads in warm colours that flower just as long.
• Ornamental grasses: Airy clumps that soften the bright colour.

Large-flowered tickseed: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Plant in April–May; harden off home-raised plants for a week first and only plant them out in mid-May.
2. Loosen the soil; on heavy soil, mix in coarse sand or grit.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot, no deeper.
4. Keep 30–45 cm between plants.
5. Water straight away and during dry spells for the first few weeks.
6. Do not mulch against the base: a layer of gravel is better than compost or bark.

Care

Water

Once established, only during long dry spells. In a pot, water regularly, but make sure there is a drainage hole.

Feeding

Not needed in the border. In a pot, give a little liquid feed every three weeks from May to July.

Deadheading

Remove spent flowers regularly, back to the next leaf or bud: this keeps it flowering until September.

Support

In wind or rich soil the stems may flop; a few twiggy sticks or a low plant support help.

Renewal

Divide the plant every two or three years in spring, or sow new plants, because old plants often fade out.

Cutting

Cut flowers for the vase as soon as they open; this also counts as deadheading.

Tip: Deadhead regularly and it will flower from June to September. Divide or resow it every two or three years, as it is naturally short-lived.

Large-flowered tickseed: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and June–September.

When: Deadhead regularly from June to September. In March, cut the old stems back to just above the new shoots.

How:

• Cut spent flowers with their stalks back to a leaf or a new bud.
• If flowering slows down in August, cut the plant back by a third: a new flush of flowers follows a few weeks later.
• Leave the old stems over winter; they give the crown a little protection.
• In March, cut everything back to just above the young leaf rosettes.

Caution: Do not cut down to the ground in autumn: a plant left completely bare over winter rots more easily.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow indoors in February–April at 18–20 °C, on seed compost; barely cover the seed. It germinates in 1–3 weeks; prick out into individual pots and plant out in mid-May. Sown early, it often flowers in its first year.

Division

In March–April, lift an older clump and divide it into pieces, each with a few shoots and roots. Discard the woody centre.

Cuttings

In April–May, take young shoots from the base and root them in moist cutting compost.

Large-flowered tickseed: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Hardy to about −30 °C, but it easily rots in winter in wet, heavy soil.
• Make sure drainage is good; on clay, plant it slightly higher or in a raised bed.
• In a pot: stand the pot against a wall in winter, out of the rain, on pot feet so the water can drain away.

Diseases and pests

• Winter rot: The plant does not come back in spring. The cause is usually wet soil; plant in a better-drained spot and renew in good time.
• Slugs and snails: They eat young plants and emerging shoots. Pick them off in the evening and protect young plants.
• Aphids: On the buds and stem tips. Spray off with water; ladybirds help.
• Few flowers: Too much shade or fertiliser, or spent flowers left on the plant. Sun, poor soil and regular deadheading help.

Through the year

• February: Sow indoors at 18–20 °C.
• March: Cut back old stems. Sow indoors. Divide.
• April: Plant. Sow indoors. Prick out seedlings.
• May: Plant out hardened-off seedlings. Watch for slugs.
• June: Flowering begins. Deadhead.
• July: Full flower. Cut flowers and deadhead.
• August: Deadhead. If needed, cut back by a third for a new flush.
• September: Last flowers. Deadhead.
• November: Leave old stems as protection.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Did you know?

• Coreopsis comes from the Greek koris, bug, and opsis, resembling: the seeds look like small insects. The English name tickseed refers to the same thing.
• Coreopsis has been the official state wildflower of Florida since 1991.
• Each ‘flower’ is really a head of dozens of tiny flowers: ray florets around the edge and disc florets in the centre, just like a daisy or sunflower.