Flowers

How to Grow Coreopsis (Tickseed): Planting, Spacing, Care & Bloom

Quick answer

Perennial tickseed: divide in spring or fall (Clemson every 1–2 years; ISU spring or late summer/fall). Annual C. tinctoria: start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before last frost (Cornell) or sow outdoors in early spring. Alias: tickseed. Not cosmos.

Coreopsis at a glance

PlantStart indoors: 8–6 wk before last frost; Transplant: last frost
SunFull sun; well-drained; drought and heat tolerant (NC/Cornell).
SpacingNC C. lanceolata: height 1–3 ft; width 1–2 ft.
Days to bloomSummer bloom; annual tinctoria late summer–fall
-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1LF+1+2+3
■ Start indoors   ■ Plant out   ■ Harvest
Weeks relative to last frost (LF). Colored weeks show when our ZIP planner schedules each step.
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Updated

Coreopsis / tickseed — perennial Coreopsis lanceolata / C. verticillata; annual plains coreopsis C. tinctoria has its own seed timing below. Do not confuse with Cosmos.

Lance-leaved coreopsis
Lance-leaved coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata). Photo: William L. Farr, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized).

Sourced from university extension guides. For dates where you live, use the ZIP planting planner.

Planting timing

Clemson: Tickseed (Coreopsis) — divide every 1 or 2 years; spring or fall; discard weak centers. (Clemson dividing perennials) Iowa State: Coreopsis spp. — spring or late summer/fall. (ISU divide perennials) Cornell on annual C. tinctoria: “Sow seeds outdoors in early spring or start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost. Do not cover the seeds, as light aids in germination.” (Cornell plains coreopsis) Planner for annual seed types: Start indoors last frost −8 to −6; Transplant last frost 0. Perennial indoor Start weeks are not species-integer-sourced — prefer division.

Depth and spacing

NC C. lanceolata: height 1–3 ft; width 1–2 ft. Cornell annual: height 1–3 ft; spread 0.5–1 ft. Surface sow / light for germination.

Sun, soil and water

Full sun; well-drained; drought and heat tolerant (NC/Cornell). Low fertility OK for annual tinctoria (Cornell).

Care

Deadhead or cut back about ⅓ for rebloom (Cornell annual). Divide frequently to keep vigor (Clemson). Self-sows; may be weedy (Cornell annual; NC naturalize).

Bloom

NC lanceolata: long summer season. Cornell annual: late summer–fall.

Pests and diseases

Generally tough (NC). Cultural: drainage, division, spacing. Avoid inventing pest lists beyond sourced disease links.

Related: ZIP planner · cosmos · organic pest control

Frequently asked questions

When do I start coreopsis from seed?

Annual C. tinctoria: 6 to 8 weeks before last frost (Cornell). Perennials: divide spring or fall (Clemson/ISU).

Same as cosmos?

No — Coreopsis vs Cosmos.

How often do I divide?

Clemson: every 1 or 2 years for tickseed.

Sources