How to Grow Coreopsis

These North American native perennials (meaning they grow back year after year) bring bright colors and texture to the flower garden. Most have small, yellow, daisy-like flowers ('Moonbeam,' 'Zagreb') with one pink exception (C. rosea). They flower all summer long. The plants mostly have thin and ferny leaves, thus one of their common names: thread-leaf coreopsis.

Things You'll Need

• Coreopsis Plants
• Fertilizers
• Garden Trowels
• Gardening Gloves
• Transplant Spades
• Scissors

Instructions

Choosing Coreopsis

1. Shop for coreopsis plants in the spring in cold regions or year-round in mild climates.

2. Look for coreopsis in 4-inch to one-gallon containers.

3. Choose healthy-looking plants with signs of new growth in leaf or flower bud. (In early spring you may need to look closely in the pot for the dark stems emerging from the soil.)

Planting Coreopsis

1. Plant coreopsis in full sun in well-drained soil.

2. Add a little organic fertilizer to the planting hole.

3. Water weekly throughout the first summer.

4. 

   Grow coreopsis in the border with small shrubs and other perennials.

5. 

   Combine the pale yellow of 'Moonbeam' and brighter yellows of other coreopsis with almost any other flower colors.

Caring for Coreopsis

1. Cut back the old foliage in early spring using bypass pruners.

2. Add a light application of organic fertilizer in spring.

3. Snip off old flowers with scissors. But even if you don't the plant should bloom all summer.

4. Water infrequently once the plant is established - just two or three times during the summer.