Route 66 Tickseed
Coreopsis verticillata 'Route 66'
Height: 28 inches
Spread: 24 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4
Other Names: Threadleaf Coreopsis
Group/Class: Cruizin' Series
Description:
Attractive, daisy-like butter yellow flowers have a pronounced red-burgundy eye that appears to bleed out on to the petals; large 2 inch diameter flowers; thrives in sandy and rocky soils and is drought tolerant.
Ornamental Features
Route 66 Tickseed is smothered in stunning buttery yellow daisy flowers with red eyes and a burgundy ring at the ends of the stems from mid summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its ferny leaves remain emerald green in color throughout the season.
Landscape Attributes
Route 66 Tickseed is an open herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
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.
Route 66 Tickseed is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing
Route 66 Tickseed will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 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 8 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 is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any 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.
Route 66 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. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
