Plant Profile: Coreopsis major

Taxonomy: Coreopsis major

Names

Forest Tickseed, Greater Coreopsis, Greater Tickseed, Whorled Coreopsis, Whorled Leaf Coreopsis, Woodland Coreopsis, Wood Tickseed

  • Photo of Coreopsis major (Coreopsis majors)

Phonetic Spelling:kor-ee-OP-sis MAY-jor

Genus:Coreopsis

Species:major

Family:Asteraceae

This stunning yellow or golden flower brings joy to everyone who encounters it.

Known as greater tickseed or greater coreopsis, Coreopsis major features larger flowers and taller stems compared to other Coreopsis species. This prevalent wildflower thrives in sandy or rocky environments, including hills, fields, open woodlands, thickets, and roadsides across the mid-eastern to southeastern regions of the United States. It flourishes best when integrated into native wildflower gardens, meadows, or prairies, making it an excellent choice for areas with poor, dry soil. However, it may become sprawling if planted in overly fertile soil. While it can enhance borders, its tendency to self-seed should be managed through deadheading spent blooms, and dividing the plants every two to three years may be necessary to ensure their vigor.

Potential issues include crown rot, which can arise in moist, poorly drained soils.

Coreopsis major Feature Summary

Coreopsis major Image Gallery

Tags

#showy flowers
#deciduous
#full sun tolerant
#fall flowers
#perennial
#wildlife plant
#yellow flowers
#cottage garden
#seeds
#herb garden
#food source
#cpp
#fire
#medium flammability
#NC native
#well-drained soil
#stolon
#spreading
#gold flowers
#summer flowers
#division
#long bloom time
#naturalizes
#native wildflower
#wildflower garden
#clumping
#poor soils tolerant
#food source summer
#food source fall
#late summer flowers
#food source nectar
#food source pollen
#sandy soils tolerant
#rocky soils tolerant
#bird friendly
#dry soils tolerant
#food source hard mast fruit
#butterfly friendly
#partial shade tolerant
#non-toxic for horses
#non-toxic for dogs
#non-toxic for cats
#audubon

Similar Plants

Coreopsis major Feature Summary

Attributes
native to the eastern United States, from Louisiana to Virginia and as far inland as Indiana and Ohio
Attractive to butterflies and songbirds eat the seeds.
Perennial
Seed
Stem Cutting
Division
medium flammability
Fruit
Seeds are dark brown/black, shiny and oblong. Displays from July to October
Brown/Copper
Black
Flowers
Wood tickseed features large, daisy-like flowers (2" diameter) with bright yellow rays and yellow (infrequently with a reddish tinge) center disks. The flowers have seven or more bright yellow petals. Untoothed ray flowers are pointed at the tips. The tips of petals are normally not notched. Flowers appear in loose clusters from late spring to late summer on erect, branching-at-the-top stems typically rising 2-3' (less frequently to 4') tall. The outer bracts are narrow. Blooms from May to July.
Gold/Yellow
Showy
Long Bloom Season
7 - 20 petals/rays
1-3 inches
Leaves
Wood tickseed has opposite, tripartite (three leaflets), sessile lower mid-stem leaves are paired along the stems giving the appearance of being in whorls of 6 leaves. Smaller upper leaves are entire. The edges are not toothed and may be slightly wavy. The leaves are stalkless. This plant appears to have a whorl of six leaves. The stem and leaves have fine hairs.
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Opposite
Whorled
Lanceolate
Entire
Undulate
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Native Plant
Wildflower
Herb
Erect
Spreading
Clumping
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Stem
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Butterfly Garden
Cottage Garden
Native Garden
Border
Mass Planting
Drought
Deer
Heat
Humidity
Dry Soil
Poor Soil
Naturalized Area
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds

Coreopsis major Attributes

Coreopsis major: Country Or Region Of Origin

Southeastern US

Coreopsis major: Distribution

native to the eastern United States, from Louisiana to Virginia and as far inland as Indiana and Ohio

Coreopsis major: Wildlife Value

Attractive to butterflies and songbirds eat the seeds.

Coreopsis major: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Coreopsis major: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Coreopsis major: Fire Risk Rating

extreme flammability
high flammability
low flammability
medium flammability

Coreopsis major Fruit

Coreopsis major: Fruit Description

Seeds are dark brown/black, shiny and oblong. Displays from July to October

Coreopsis major: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Coreopsis major: Fruit Color

grass
Black
grass
Brown/Copper

Coreopsis major: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Coreopsis major Flowers

Coreopsis major: Flower Description

Wood tickseed features large, daisy-like flowers (2" diameter) with bright yellow rays and yellow (infrequently with a reddish tinge) center disks. The flowers have seven or more bright yellow petals. Untoothed ray flowers are pointed at the tips. The tips of petals are normally not notched. Flowers appear in loose clusters from late spring to late summer on erect, branching-at-the-top stems typically rising 2-3' (less frequently to 4') tall. The outer bracts are narrow. Blooms from May to July.

Coreopsis major: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow

Coreopsis major: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Coreopsis major: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Coreopsis major: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Coreopsis major: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Coreopsis major: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Coreopsis major: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Coreopsis major Leaves

Coreopsis major: Leaf Description

Wood tickseed has opposite, tripartite (three leaflets), sessile lower mid-stem leaves are paired along the stems giving the appearance of being in whorls of 6 leaves. Smaller upper leaves are entire. The edges are not toothed and may be slightly wavy. The leaves are stalkless. This plant appears to have a whorl of six leaves. The stem and leaves have fine hairs.

Coreopsis major: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Coreopsis major: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Coreopsis major: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Coreopsis major: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Coreopsis major: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Coreopsis major: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Coreopsis major Whole Plant Traits

Coreopsis major: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Coreopsis major: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Coreopsis major: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Coreopsis major: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Coreopsis major: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Coreopsis major Cultural Conditions

Coreopsis major: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Coreopsis major: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Coreopsis major: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Coreopsis major: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Coreopsis major: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Coreopsis major: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Coreopsis major Stem

Coreopsis major: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Coreopsis major: Stem Surface

Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)

Coreopsis major Landscape

Coreopsis major: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Coreopsis major: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Coreopsis major: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Coreopsis major: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Coreopsis major: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees