Coreopsis verticillata
Encyclopedia
Coreopsis verticillata (Thread-leaf coreopsis) is a perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...

 of the genus Coreopsis in Asteraceae. The common names of the species are whorled coreopsis, thread-leaved tickseed, thread leaf coreopsis, and pot-of-gold.

Description

Coreopsis verticillata is an herbaceous
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...

 perennial that grows 2 to 3 feet tall and about 2 feet wide, although as it spreads laterally by rhizomes, this width can be exceeded. The stems
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...

 are wiry. The flower heads are up to 2 inches across, and both the disc florets and ray florets are bright yellow. The flowers are produced abundantly in clusters from mid-summer to fall.

Habitat

C. verticillata grows naturally in the eastern United States and can commonly be found in dry, thin woods and open pinelands, prefering sites with full sun exposure. It can tolerate drought, poor soil, heat, and neglect. Its native range includes most of North America east of the Mississippi River.

Horticultural cultivation

Coreopsis verticillata and its horticultural cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...

s are not difficult to grow and hence make good starter plants for beginners. They have a long flowering season and are relatively free from pests and diseases. They attract butterflies and are deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...

 resistant. They can be grown in hanging baskets and containers (where irrigation will be necessary), and as border plants. Carolyn Singer, in "Deer in My Garden" , reports that C. verticillata is a good companion plant with other summer-blooming perennials requiring similar conditions. Notable cultivars include:
  • 'Grandiflora' - taller than other cultivars, with slightly larger flowers, awarded an Award of Garden Merit
    Award of Garden Merit
    The Award of Garden Merit, or AGM, is an award made to garden plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society after a period of assessment by the appropriate committees of the Society...

     by the Royal Horticultural Society
    Royal Horticultural Society
    The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...

    .
  • 'Moonbeam' - pale, sulphur-yellow flowers, slightly shorter growth, chosen as the 1992 Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association. When this cultivar was first introduced to the market, demand outstripped supply in some localities, such was its popularity.
  • 'Zagreb' - shorter than the species, bright yellow flowers, awarded an Award of Garden Merit
    Award of Garden Merit
    The Award of Garden Merit, or AGM, is an award made to garden plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society after a period of assessment by the appropriate committees of the Society...

     from the Royal Horticultural Society
    Royal Horticultural Society
    The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...

    in 2001.
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