Coreopsis is another wonderful plant from the family Asteraceae, coloring garden all shades of yellow and Golden brown in a gloomy and cloudy days of summer and in early autumn. The flower is a bit like Gaillardia: the same bright yellow baskets with dissected tips of petals (reed flowers), only the middle is not red, but often brown, but sometimes yellow and orange.
The name of the flower is formed from two words in Greek: “koris” means a bug and “opsis” means a species. It was given to the plant for the fact that its fruits-achenes are very similar to their species of bug.
In total, there are about 100 different species of coreopsis in the world, most of which live in North America, but some grow in tropical regions of Africa and South America. It’s flowers are loving the heat and sun. Among them there are both annual species and perennial plants. Most of them are herbs, but there are also semi-shrubs.
Here we will learn more about some types of perennial coreopsis.
Coreopsis grandiflora
Coreopsis grandiflora is found in the wild in America. Bush up to 1 m is formed by straight strongly branching shoots. Basal leaves are simple, but the upper ones on the stems are pinnately dissected.
Baskets about 8 cm in diameter, located on one at the ends of strong stems, painted in bright yellow-gold tones, darker in the center. It begins to bloom in July and continues until the frost. The plant is short-lived, grows no more than 3 years in one place.
Here are some of the varieties of grandiflora coreopsis:
- ‘Calypso’. Single yellow inflorescence with a reddish spot in the center.
- ‘Baden Gold’, ‘Mayfield Giant’, ‘Sunburst’ – all plants are high, with large yellow inflorescences.
- ‘Sunray’ and ‘Early Sunrise’ have double inflorescences and compact bushes (up to 50 cm).
- ‘Sundancer’ – dwarf variety, its height is not more than 30 cm.
Coreopsis lanceolata
Originally from the Central American States of Coreopsis lanceolata. Its branching stems form a Bush no more than 60 cm high.
Simple leaves lanceolate sitting on stalks. Inflorescences up to 6 cm, located at the ends of drooping shoots, painted in yellow. Blooms in July and for 2 months pleases with its bright colors.
Interesting are the following varieties of coreopsis lanceolate:
- ‘Golden Queen’. The height of the stems to 60 cm Baskets 5-6 cm in diameter formed by Golden-yellow reed flowers.
- ‘Rotkehlchen’. Flower about 5 cm in diameter, yellow petals, the middle consists of red tubular flowers. Height 45 cm.
- ‘Goldfink’. Undersized, up to 30 cm tall, Golden-yellow inflorescences.
Coreopsis verticillata
Coreopsis verticillata lives in the southeastern part of the North American States. Strongly ramified bushes grow to a height of 100 cm Narrow sessile leaves similar to needles of a light green color. Inflorescences medium-sized (to 3 cm), resemble little stars, formed needle-like yellow ray flowers.
Flowering lasts from mid-summer about 70 days. This species has a longer life expectancy and can grow without transplantation up to 6 years.
His varieties:
- ‘Zagreb’. Low bushes (30 cm) with Golden flowers.
- ‘Moonbeam’. Plant height 30 cm Flowers pale yellow or cream color.
- ‘Mercury Rising’. Dark cherry flowers with a yellow center. Plant height 40 cm.
- ‘Golden Shower’. The flowers are Golden yellow, the plant forms a Bush height of 60-75 cm responds Well to the haircut after the first wave of flowering.
Coreopsis auriculata
In the South-East of the United States grows Coreopsis auriculata. The plant is undersized, usually up to 30 cm tall. Simple medium-sized leaves form a rosette and cover the stem half. Small yellow flowers similar to daisies. Timely pruning of inflorescences prolongs flowering Bush.
Interesting varieties:
- ‘Nana’. A very small dense shrub with oval leaves. In spring and early summer is all strewn with orange-yellow flowers. Re (but not so abundant) can bloom in summer and autumn.
- ‘Zamphir’. Also a small plant with rounded leaves, flowers orange-gold color located on straight shoots.
Coreopsis rosea
Coreopsis rosea-low plant (about 40 cm), forms a thick Bush up to 50-75 cm in diameter. Numerous shoots covered with narrow linear leaves. Flowers up to 2 cm in diameter pink with a yellow middle. Flowering lasts from June to September.
Varieties of pink coreopsis:
- ‘Sweet Dreams’. The inflorescence is formed by petals of crimson color, turning into a white border on the edge, the center is yellow.
- ‘Heaven’s Gate’. Height from 20 to 40 cm with petals of pink-purple color.
Growing of perennial coreopsis
Growing coreopsis is not difficult, it is quite easy to care for the plant. Almost all kinds. Perennial coreopsis prefer an open place in the sun, well fertilized and moist enough land. However, some species have their own preferences: coreopsis large-flowered will grow better on moderately dry soil without excessive organic matter; coreopsis pink on rich soils becomes less decorative. For all kinds of dangerous excessive waterlogging in winter.
Maintenance
Care for coreopsis simple. It is enough to observe the following rules:
- watering in dry weather;
- timely weeding and loosening;
- feeding 2-3 times per season;
- pruning after flowering (except coreopsis grandiflora);
- divide and transplant in 3-4 years.
Reproduction
Coreopsis seeds are sown on seedlings in April in a street greenhouse. When 2-3 real leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted into pots of 3-4 pieces. Planting in the open ground produce in may-early June, maintaining a distance between plants 25-30 cm can be sown in the fall immediately into the ground. Also, coreopsis gives self-seeding, young plants are planted in a new place.
Coreopsis propagated and vegetatively — by dividing the Bush, usually in the fall. Every 4 years, the Bush is dug up, neatly broken into delenki with a certain number of kidneys and planted in a new place.
Coreopsis in the garden
Perennial coreopsis-long flowering plants, so that they can take their significant place in the garden. High species and varieties will serve as a background in the mixborder, will look especially beautiful with flowers that have blue and blue pyramidal inflorescences: aconites, Veronica. Beautiful bright yellow flowers of coreopsis on a green background of the lawn and near the shrub groups.
Undersized forms are perfect for the foreground of the flower garden, they make wonderful curbs. They will decorate and Alpine gardens or rockeries. Also, low coreopsis are good in vases and containers with blue Lobelia and silver cineraria.
Do coreopsis grow in your garden? What species or varieties do you prefer? Share with our readers in the comments to this article.