Plant Story--Coreopsis, Pretty Tickseeds

The bright yellow flowerhead nodded in the breeze, peeking out among a variety of leaves. Look! A coreopsis!

tickseed, Coreopsis grandiflora hybrid

Coreopsis is a genus of 35 species, most native to North America, in the daisy family, Asteraceae. They have the typical flower head structure of the family: a group of disc florets in the middle surrounded by ray florets which provide petals. Most are naturally some shade of yellow. Native ranges of the 28 species in the United States are mostly along the East Coast or California, but a few are found in every state. 

Gardeners discovered them long ago, so there are many color patterns and varieties, and the plant you see growing in a garden is probably a hybrid, not a natural species.

The common name for most species is tickseed. The seeds are small flat and dark, easily reminding you of ticks. I like the flowers a lot and dislike ticks, so I find that common name unattractive. I have therefore been using coreopsis as the common name. However, coreopsis is based on the Greek korios "bedbug" and -opsis "resembling", so oops, I have not made much progress giving these plants a flattering name by calling them "like bedbugs". Tickseed will do. 

seeds of large-flowered tickseed, Coreopsis grandiflora

These are annual and perennial plants of disturbed sites and sandy soils across North America. Cheery little flowers amid the grasses of summer. 

tickseed, Coreopsis verticillata variety

bigflower tickseed, Coreopsis grandiflora hybrid

common variety of golden tickseed, Coreopsis tinctoria

Like many native plants, wild tickseeds will self-seed all over your yard. I like them, and am happy to have another tickseed pop up in my yard. Some varieties, however, are sterile. I do not see seedlings of the Coreopsis verticillata hybrid in my yard. That doesn't mean it stayed neatly in place: it has formed a massive patch as each plant expanded and expanded. It is striking in flower but crowds surrounding plants. 

Although most states have several native tickseeds, the species that are widely sold are not necessarily indigenous. The tickseeds in my yard count as exotic garden plants in my part of Colorado. As with most of my plants, I planted them without worrying about provenance. Only in the last few years that I have wanted to grow plants that are native to my county. The positive side of that is I can look for the Colorado native tickseed, golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria, to add to my yard. 

As native American wildflowers, tickseeds have been reported to host a dozen native butterflies and moths, and that is probably a substantial undercount. 

Their pretty flowers are attractive to butterflies and bees,

butterfly and fly (I think) on tickseed

Native Americans had a variety of uses for tickseeds. Some species were used as internal medicine, for example for internal pains. The Kawailsu and Tubatulabal used C. biglovii for food, eating the whole plant. Several species were used to make a tea, for example the Zuni drank a tea of golden tickseed (C. tinctoria) until coffee was introduced. (More on Native American uses link)

Native Americans, from the Cherokee to the White Mountain Apache employed tickseeds as dye plants, usually for a red. All the Coreopsis species I've tried, fresh or dried or purchased, were good dye plants. Golden tickseed, (Coreopsis tinctoria), in particular, is a spectacular dye plant. The flowers make strong, permanent oranges, yellows, and olive greens (determined by dye-bath conditions), very quickly and efficiently. I have not yet gotten a red. 

colors of golden tickseed on wool yarn

Plant breeders have expanded the color range of tickseeds:

red tickseed, cultivated variety of Coreopsis verticillata

The tickseeds are very pretty native American wildflowers.

References

Ackerfield, J. 2022. Flora of Colorado, 2nd ed. Denver Botanic Garden. 

Missouri Plant Finder. Coreopsis "Creme Brulee" Missouri Plant Finder link (Accessed 7/17/25)

Moerman, D. E. 2003. Native American Ethnobotany data base. link (Accessed 7/17/25)

Robinson, G. S.,P. R. Ackery, I. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni and L. M. Hernández. 2023. HOSTS (from HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants). Natural History Museum. link (Accessed 7/17/25)

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