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Downy Tickseed

Coreopsis pubescens (kor-ee-OP-sis pew-BES-senz)

Family: Asteraceae Native Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

Star tickseed is a perennial wildflower in the daisy family (Asteraceae) native to the central and southeastern USA. and can be found in rocky meadows and forests, gravelly stream beds, rocky ledges and railroad right-of-ways. It. The genus name comes from the Greek words koris, meaning "bug," and opsis, meaning "like," in reference to the shape of the seed, which resembles a bug or tick. It can grow 2 to 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide in full sun. Plant in dry to medium, well-drained, rocky to sandy soil. It is drought, heat, and humidity tolerant as well. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong blooming and cut the plant back in summer if foliage sprawls. Propagation is by seed and division. The bright 2-inch yellow flowers have both ray florets and disc florets, with the ray florets having a distinctive notch at the corolla tip. They have a long summer bloom period and attract pollinators. Use in the border or in small groups of naturalized areas, rock, drought-tolerant, butterfly or native gardens. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems, but crown rot can occur in too wet soils.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 62 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Coreopsis auriculata
Fills a similar niche Anacis tripteris Coreopsis pubescens 'Sunshine Superman' Viola pedata

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Native Plant; Wildflower
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Lobed
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Downy leaves are sometimes lobed at the base. Leaves are 1-3 inches long
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Orange
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Radial
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Yellow 2" flowers with an orange disk and notched petals, bloom in summer June- Sept.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit detail
Flat tan to brown achene
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Long, fuzzy stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central and SE US
Distribution
AL , AR , CT , FL , GA , IL , KS , KY , LA , MA , MO , MS , NC , OK , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV
Wildlife value
Attracts butterflies and bees
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Achene
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Patio
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Native Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Border
Garden tags
#heat tolerant #rocky soils tolerant #herbaceous perennial #tough plant #yellow flowers #drought tolerant #humidity tolerant #shallow soil tolerant #deer resistant #low maintenance #well-drained soil #butterfly friendly #rock garden #sandy soils tolerant #perennial #NC native #NC Native Pollinator Plant #wildflower #poor soil tolerant
Problems & Resistance
Disease problems
Southern Blight of Herbaceous Ornamentals
Problems
Short-lived
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Dry Soil; Heat; Humidity; Poor Soil
Propagation
Division; Seed

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.