Sunfire Tickseed
Coreopsis grandiflora 'Sunfire'
Height: 20 inches
Spread: 20 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4
Other Names: Large Flowered Tickseed, Butter Daisy
Description:
Striking, daisy-like yellow flowers with gold centers and contrasting burgundy ring; an abundance of large diameter flowers; tolerant of pests and drier soils, thriving in sandy and rocky soils.
Ornamental Features
Sunfire Tickseed is smothered in stunning yellow daisy flowers with gold eyes and a burgundy ring at the ends of the stems from late spring to late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain emerald green in color throughout the season.
Landscape Attributes
Sunfire Tickseed is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Sunfire Tickseed is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing
Sunfire Tickseed will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in both summer and winter to conserve soil moisture and protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Sunfire Tickseed is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
