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Anyone else not impressed with dwarf coreopsis?

17 years ago

I have tried dwarf coreopsis again this year, and still not impressed with it's blooming. Blooms nicely in April and May, then they are pretty much done for the year. A few stray blooms from time to time, maybe. This is the third year I have tried them, I have some that are 3 years old, some 2, and some new this year. Luckily, I use them as a border in front of taller coreopis, like Heliot and Early Sunrise, and they provide season long blooming. Everything I read says the dwarf's are spring to fall bloomers, but I've never seen it.

BTW, I have them planted in full sun site, however they get shade after about 6pm. Anyone else have similar experiences?

Comments (15)

  • 17 years ago

    Yes, that is precisely my experience with ALL coreopsis that I have tried. I have pretty well gotten them completely out of my beds, because of their short bloom time and how weedy the foliage looks thereafter. I have started planting yellow blooming annuals in their stead: marigolds, melampodium, highlight zinnias and lemonbird cosmos. All of these reseed well and pay the rent all season.

    I have a feeling that coreopsis do much better farther north or they wouldn't have so many fans.

  • 17 years ago

    I enjoy mine a lot. I made one of those flower pot poles and put these in the top pot. They return and multiply each year. Dividing them is a good idea because they tend to get crowded. Mine are still blooming now so maybe your plant needs thinning out.

  • 17 years ago

    Well, I've tried that and always get the same results. The dwarfs are all tidy little plants, maybe 12-14" across, so they are not overgrown. And even the brand new ones I planted this spring have already quit blooming. The foliage stays nice and green on them though, but I just expected more than a green plant.

  • 17 years ago

    Correopsis is my favorite perennial along with goblin and other gillardia. I can't imagine either one fading out. Of course I have never tried the dwarf correopsis but I have many other varieties. Sunray blooms from June until frost--in fact I take all the blooms off in Sept. or it would bloom itself to death Lance correopsis blooms from July to frost I have the pale yellow and deep gold and that's not all. I have many more varieties, all of which I find excellent

  • 17 years ago

    Yeah, it's specifically the dwarf that I have problems with. All the others I have grown have very long blooming periods. I do find they are short lived, sometimes I've had bunches not last more than 2 summers. I just wonder if the "dwarf" is being mislabeled as a spring to fall bloomer, when it is actually just a spring to early summer. I do think it is a fairly new variation, as I just started seeing them around here 3 or 4 years ago.

  • 17 years ago

    I believe we need to more specifically define which "dwarf" Coreopsis we're talking about. In addition, the term "dwarf" is relative.

    C. auricuata and its forms is relatively dwarf, but is a spring bloomer only.

    C. grandiflora comes in dozens of forms, from the 25cm (10") variety 'Presto' to giants like 'Schnittgold' (Gold Cut) at 90cm (3'). These all typically bloom from late spring through to frost (and self-sow like crazy).

    C. 'Jethro Tull' is a newer hybrid ('Zamfir' is similar, and is one of the parents) that is relatively dwarf as well. It starts to bloom relatively early and continues for a long time. I'm fairly certain it did not appreciate my hot, humid summers however.

    C. pubescens 'Sunshine Superman' is also dwarf and flowers all summer, although I have not grown it myself.

    There are many more...

  • 17 years ago

    Coreopsis auriculata Nana is the one I love. I have this in full sun. It blooms heavily in June. Then there is a few weeks where it rests. Then it starts blooming again. They are very reliable garden plants. I always deadhead mine and have had no problems with this plant. It's one of my faves.

  • 17 years ago

    I have had the Nana and loved it. I would love to have it again but it can be difficult to find.

  • 17 years ago

    I went home from work yesterday to check out my dwarf coreopsis...They are in bud again getting ready to put on another show.

  • 17 years ago

    My C. auriculata 'Nana" only blooms once, in June, so I think it depends a lot on your zone or climate. 'Sunshine Superman' bloomed a long time, but it didn't come back after the third winter.

  • 17 years ago

    This is my third year for Jethro Tull and I added some Early Sunrise. None do well, and like you, I'm ready to just say that coreopsis doesn't work in my garden. They come back puny each spring, bloom fine once and then peter out. We have also had very humid hot weather, so perhaps that is the reason. I also have had a terrible time with Gallardia hybrids. They just droop and act daily as if they were starving for water. My cousin who also lives here also complains about the constant droop. Funny, ten years ago when I moved here, my mother's yard had two old volunteering plants: gallardia and some wild daisy. With time, all the gallardia have disappeared. Wonder if you can get heirloom types? I do have a large clump of the daisies yet going strong.

    Back to the coreopsis: it could be the soil, the light, the weather--any of those things. All I know is that they are being moved to a different location for next year, and if that doesn't work, they will be out and gone.

  • 10 years ago

    My C. auriculata 'Nana' is on its 3rd season, and this spring I have only gotten a few blooms here and there. The foliage looks great, but the blooms don't seem to be coming 'round. There is a honey locust in the next lot over (small Chicago lots), but I don't believe the amount of sun the coreopsis is receiving has changed much. Has anyone else experienced this lack of blooming?

  • 9 years ago

    I have read that these should be cut back by half mid season to rejuvenate them

  • 9 years ago

    The (ahem) hybridised perennial coreopsis have been utter rubbish for me...everyone a dud...although the tall US plains tickseeds (c.tripteris, lanceolata and grandiflora et al) and the annual tinctoria are absolute knock-outs in my cutting garden.