Summary
Annual Coreopsis, or tickseed, is undergoing a period of rediscovery by American gardeners. Once a widely cultivated wildflower, annual coreopsis fell out of favor long ago; however, new breeding efforts are bringing annual coreopsis back into today’s mainstream gardens as bedding and container plants. Many of these new cultivars have been hybridized from two species, Coreopsis tinctoria and Coreopsis rosea, to produce plants that are compact, floriferous and bloom in numerous colors and patterns. In 2012, Mt. Cuba Center initiated a trial of 27 cultivars of annual coreopsis. Our goal was to evaluate the horticultural and ecological potential that this new group of plants has to offer. After evaluating each selection over two growing seasons, top performing plants were selected based on their habit, floral display and disease resistance. The best selections of annual coreopsis for the mid-Atlantic region include: ‘Salsa’, ‘Jive’, ‘Golden Dream’, ‘RP #1’ (Little Penny), and ‘Pineapple Pie’.
To view the Coreopsis Trial Report full-sized, please click here.
Below are detailed descriptions about the performance of each plant in the evaluation as well as a link to the Report that summarizes the important horticultural and ecological information about both annual and perennial types of Coreopsis.