Welcome back to the Native Plants Series! We are kicking it of in 2021 by featuring the native plants requested by my followers.
Threadleaf tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata) is native to most Eastern states south of New York EXCEPT FOR Pennsylvania. Growing up to 3' tall, it grows in full sun and dry to medium moisture soils and is deer and drought tolerant. Bright yellow flowers bloom from June to September. You can cut it back hard mid-summer to tidy up the plant and promote a 2nd flush of blooms in the fall.
The straight species of the plant can be an aggressive spreader, but there are cultivars available with better manners...the most common you will find in garden centers are 'Moonbeam' and "Zagreb'. As always, the jury is out as to whether cultivars support wildlife as well as the straight species do. It is highly variable and only now starting to be studied. While this particular Coreopsis is not native to PA, lanceleaf tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata) is. Five species of butterflies and moths use Coreopsis species as a host plant in South Central PA.
Photo credit: @meine_kleine_laube on Instagram
Sources: Misouri Botanical Garden, National Wildlife Foundation, USDA Native Plants Database