Coreopsis gigantea — Practical Plants

Taxonomy and growth

Family: Compositae
Genus: Coreopsis
Life cycle: perennial
Height: 2.5 m
Fertility: Bees
Flower type: hermaphrodite
Pollinators: Bees

Uses

Material uses

An orange to red/orange dye is obtained from the flowers and stems^[3].

Product or use: Dye

Environment

Range: South-western N. America.
Habitat: By the coast on rocky sea cliffs and exposed dunes to 50 metres in California^[6].
Light: full sun
Shade tolerance: no shade
Water: moderate
Hardiness: Zone 8+
Soil textures: sandy, loamy
Soil pH: acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage: well drained
Tolerances: high wind, maritime exposure, drought
Wind: Yes
Maritime: Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil: No
Drought: tolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow March in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer^[2]. The seed can also be sown in an outdoor seedbed in mid spring. Once they are more than 15cm tall, plant the seedlings out into their permanent positions in the summer. Division in spring or autumn^[2]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer or following spring. Cuttings of young basal shoots, May/June in a frame^[4]. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.

Cultivation

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil^[1]. Prefers a fertile well-drained moisture retentive medium soil^[2]^[4]. Requires a sunny position^[2]^[4]. Established plants are drought resistant^[1]. This species is not very cold hardy in Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -3°c^[4]^[5]. It dislikes winter wet and so is also apt to die out over the winter if grown on clay soils^[2]. It is best grown in a greenhouse in this country^[1]. The cut flowers last well in water^[5]. The flowers are loved by bees^[5].

Coreopsis auriculataTickseed
Coreopsis calliopsidea
Coreopsis tinctoriaCoreopsis
Coreopsis tinctoria atkinsonianaCoreopsis

References

F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
↩1 ↩2 ↩3
Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926-00-00
↩1 ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5
Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8
↩
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
↩1 ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
↩1 ↩2 ↩3
Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00
↩