How to Grow Coreopsis
Coreopsis At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Flower
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -29°C
Plant Family
Asteraceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Sow in late fall and let winter do the work, or sow in early spring, about 4 weeks before your last frost. Scatter the seeds on loose soil, press them in and cover them very lightly, about 0.5 cm, since they need some light to sprout. They come up in 10 to 20 days once the soil warms, and plants end up about 30 cm apart.
Lance-leaved coreopsis is a tough, golden wildflower that comes back every year and blooms for weeks in hot, dry spots where other flowers give up. Plants from seed often flower in their second summer. It drops its own seed and spreads gently, so pull the extra seedlings in spring if you want to keep it in place.
When To Start
First chance to plant
30 Days Before Last Frost
Last chance to plant
30 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Coreopsis?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Coreopsis Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Coreopsis Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow coreopsis seeds outdoors, barely covered
30 days before your last frost· every year
Optional: plant or divide coreopsis in full sun
Around your last frost· every year· optional
Snip off faded coreopsis flowers to keep it blooming
65 days after your last frost· every year· optional
Did you water your coreopsis seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Hello from your coreopsis! Water when the top of the soil is dry, and let it dry out between drinks.
About 43 days after you plant it
Coreopsis check! Snip off faded flowers and the plant will keep making new ones.
About 67 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your coreopsis.
About 70 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Coreopsis's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 10–20 days
Growing Tips
- 1Plant coreopsis in full sun, at least 6 hours a day, or it flops and flowers less.
- 2Give it ordinary, well-drained soil with just a little compost, since rich soil makes weak, floppy stems.
- 3Water deeply while the plants settle in, then only in long dry spells, because they hate wet feet.
- 4A thin layer of compost each spring is all the food it needs.
- 5Snip off faded flowers every week, or shear the whole plant back by a third in midsummer, to keep it blooming into fall.
- 6Spray aphids off with water, and leave room between plants so air can flow and keep powdery mildew (a white dust on the leaves) away.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~70
Days to Maturity
60 cm
Mature Height
45 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
45 days
When to Pick
Cut flowers when fully open
How to Harvest
- 1Cut flowers for a vase when they have just opened, early in the morning, and put them straight into water.
- 2Cut each stem just above a pair of leaves, where new flower buds will form.
- 3Keep cutting or deadheading (snipping off faded flowers) all summer for more blooms.
- 4Leave the last flower heads on in fall if you want birds to eat the seeds or the plant to drop new seedlings.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Different kinds of coreopsis growing near each other can cross, so for seed true to our lance-leaved type keep it away from other coreopsis. Leave some flowers on the plant until the heads turn brown and dry, usually a few weeks after the petals fall. Snip them into a paper bag and rub them to free the small, flat, dark seeds, which look a little like ticks (this is why it is also called tickseed). Spread the seeds on a plate to dry for a week, then store them labelled in a cool, dark, dry place for about 3 years. Sow them in late fall, or put them through a cold spell in the fridge before a spring sowing.
Seed Production
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