• Photo of Coreopsis pubescens (Coreopsis pubescenss)

Plant Profile: Coreopsis pubescens

Taxonomy: Coreopsis pubescens

Names

Downy Tickseed, Star Tickseed, Tickseed

  • Photo of Coreopsis pubescens (Coreopsis pubescenss)

Phonetic Spelling:

Genus:Coreopsis

Species:pubescens

Family:Asteraceae

Star Tickseed is a hardy perennial wildflower indigenous to the central and southeastern regions of the United States. This plant thrives in various environments, including rocky meadows, forests, gravelly stream beds, rocky outcrops, and along railroad corridors. It features vibrant yellow flowers that can reach heights of up to 4 feet. The flowers consist of both ray and disc florets, measuring as much as 2 inches across.

For optimal growth, it is best to plant Star Tickseed in full sunlight and in dry to medium, well-drained soil. It thrives in poor, rocky, and sandy conditions and exhibits resilience to drought, heat, and humidity. To encourage continued blooming, it is advisable to deadhead the spent flowers and trim back the plant during the summer if the foliage becomes overly sprawling. This wildflower is an excellent choice for rock gardens or drought-resistant landscapes, serving well as a border plant or in naturalized settings.

Coreopsis pubescens Feature Summary

Coreopsis pubescens Image Gallery

Tags

#heat tolerant
#drought tolerant
#perennial
#yellow flowers
#tough plant
#low maintenance
#well-drained soil
#deer resistant
#herbaceous perennial
#rock gardens
#wildflower garden
#poor soils tolerant
#humidity tolerant
#rocky soils tolerant
#butterfly friendly
#sandy soil
#shallow soil tolerant

Similar Plants

Coreopsis pubescens is often confused with:

Coreopsis pubescens Feature Summary

Attributes
AL , AR , CT , FL , GA , IL , KS , KY , LA , MA , MO , MS , NC , OK , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV
Attracts butterflies and bees
Perennial
Fruit
Flat tan to brown achene
Flowers
Yellow 2" flowers with an orange disk and notched petals, bloom in summer June- Sept.
Gold/Yellow
Orange
7 - 20 petals/rays
1-3 inches
Leaves
Downy leaves are sometimes lobed at the base. Leaves are 1-3 inches long
Ovate
Lanceolate
Entire
Lobed
1-3 inches
< 1 inch
Stem
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Herbaceous Perennial
Native Plant
Wildflower
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Good Drainage
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Rock Garden
Butterfly Garden
Cottage Garden
Native Garden
Drought
Deer
Heat
Humidity
Dry Soil
Poor Soil
Container
Patio
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Butterflies
Pollinators
Short-lived

Coreopsis pubescens Attributes

Coreopsis pubescens: Country Or Region Of Origin

Central and SE US

Coreopsis pubescens: Distribution

AL , AR , CT , FL , GA , IL , KS , KY , LA , MA , MO , MS , NC , OK , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV

Coreopsis pubescens: Wildlife Value

Attracts butterflies and bees

Coreopsis pubescens: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Coreopsis pubescens: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Coreopsis pubescens Fruit

Coreopsis pubescens: Fruit Description

Flat tan to brown achene

Coreopsis pubescens: Fruit Type

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

Coreopsis pubescens: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Coreopsis pubescens Flowers

Coreopsis pubescens: Flower Description

Yellow 2" flowers with an orange disk and notched petals, bloom in summer June- Sept.

Coreopsis pubescens: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow
filter_vintage
Orange

Coreopsis pubescens: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Coreopsis pubescens: Flower Value To Gardener

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

Coreopsis pubescens: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Coreopsis pubescens: 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 pubescens: Flower Shape

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

Coreopsis pubescens: Flower Size

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

Coreopsis pubescens Leaves

Coreopsis pubescens: Leaf Description

Downy leaves are sometimes lobed at the base. Leaves are 1-3 inches long

Coreopsis pubescens: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Coreopsis pubescens: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Coreopsis pubescens: Leaf Type

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

Coreopsis pubescens: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Coreopsis pubescens: 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 pubescens: Leaf Margin

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

Coreopsis pubescens: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Coreopsis pubescens: Leaf Length

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

Coreopsis pubescens: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Coreopsis pubescens: Leaf Width

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

Coreopsis pubescens Stem

Coreopsis pubescens: Stem Description

Long, fuzzy stems

Coreopsis pubescens: Stem Color

grass
Green

Coreopsis pubescens: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Coreopsis pubescens: Stem Cross Section

Angular
Oval
Round
Square

Coreopsis pubescens: Stem Surface

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

Coreopsis pubescens: Stem Form

Straight
Zig Zags

Coreopsis pubescens Whole Plant Traits

Coreopsis pubescens: 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 pubescens: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Coreopsis pubescens: 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 pubescens: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Coreopsis pubescens Cultural Conditions

Coreopsis pubescens: 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 pubescens: Soil Drainage

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

Coreopsis pubescens: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Coreopsis pubescens: 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 pubescens: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Coreopsis pubescens Landscape

Coreopsis pubescens: 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 pubescens: 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 pubescens: 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 pubescens: 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 pubescens: Attracts

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

Coreopsis pubescens: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy