Coreopsis Sunfire

Description

Coreopsis ‘Sunfire’ – tickseed

Botanical name: Coreopsis grandiflora ‘Sunfire’
Common names: Tickseed, coreopsis
Family: Asteraceae (daisy family)
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Habit: Bushy, clump-forming
Pot size: 2–3 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 40–50cm tall × 40cm spread
Foliage: Green, lance-shaped foliage; deciduous
Flowers: Golden-yellow daisy flowers with a striking mahogany-red ring around the centre, over a long season from early summer (June–September)
Scent: Not notably scented
Aspect / light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained; poor to average; drought-tolerant; dislikes wet; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H5 (hardy, to about −15°C); can be short-lived; USDA zones 5–9
Exposure: Open, sunny; drought-tolerant
Native range: Garden form; the genus is native to North America
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Generally considered non-toxic to people and pets

Coreopsis ‘Sunfire’ is a striking tickseed with golden-yellow daisies marked with a bold mahogany-red central ring, over a long summer season. Cheerful and easy, it is superb for sunny borders and pots.

GardenAdvice notes

A cheerful, sun-loving perennial, tickseed (Coreopsis) is one of the best plants of all for a long, generous display of bright daisy flowers, blooming for months right through summer and into autumn. Easy and drought-tolerant, thriving on poor, sunny soils, and a magnet for bees and butterflies, it is a mainstay of sunny, gravel and prairie-style borders.

Growing & planting

Plant in spring in well-drained soil in full sun — it thrives on poor, dry soils and dislikes rich, wet ground, especially in winter. Ideal for sunny, gravel and prairie-style borders and containers. Space about 40cm apart. Water only while establishing.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. Deadhead regularly to keep the very long flowering season going. Cut back after the main flush to tidy and encourage more flowers, and cut down old growth in spring rather than autumn, leaving the crown protected over winter. Some can be short-lived, so divide every couple of years or take cuttings. Keep it well-drained, especially in winter.

Propagation

• Division: Lift and divide established clumps in spring, as growth begins.
• Cuttings: Take basal or softwood cuttings in spring or early summer.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free in a sunny, well-drained spot. It can be short-lived, especially in wet or heavy soil, and slugs may graze new growth. Sharp drainage and spring (not autumn) cut-back help it overwinter.

Uses in the garden

Superb in sunny, gravel, prairie-style and cottage borders and containers, where its long-flowering bright daisies bring months of cheerful colour and attract pollinators; good for cutting.

Wildlife value

Tickseed is an excellent plant for pollinators: its long succession of daisy flowers is very attractive to bees, butterflies and hoverflies through summer and autumn.

Toxicity & safety

Tickseed is generally regarded as non-toxic to people and pets.

GardenAdvice tip

‘Sunfire’ gives you golden-yellow daisies with a bold mahogany-red eye — a warm, bicoloured cheerfulness that lasts for months in a sunny border or pot. Deadhead to keep it flowering; as a grandiflora type it can be short-lived, so give it sharp drainage, cut it back in spring rather than autumn to protect the crown, and take cuttings or divide every couple of years as insurance.

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