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Native Plant Society of Texas

Plains Coreopsis

Coreopsis tinctoria

Other common name(s):

Goldenwave, Golden Tickseed, Calliopsis

Family:

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, High Plains, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains
Low Mountains and Bajadas
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Canadian/Cimarron High Plains, Llano Estacado, Rolling Sand Plains
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys, Semiarid Canadian Breaks
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
2
ft.

Spread

0.5
to
1
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Annual

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Clay, Loam, Moist, Sand

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Disturbed Areas, Grassland, Riparian

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Brown, Yellow

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

Wildlife Benefit

Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Nectar Insects

Maintenance

It does well in wildflower meadows. In wet years, it blooms in mass. Allow seeds to mature before mowing or cutting down to ensure reseeding. Native habitat: prairie, meadows, pastures, roadsides, pond banks, moist, sandy or clay soils, sometimes alkaline flats, ditches, disturbed places

Description

Blooms January-December, depending on the climate. Can also grow as a perennial or biennial depending on growing conditions. A tall, slender, multi-branched plant with pinnately-compound foliage. Yellow daisy flowers with red-highlighted centers and notched tipped rays grow at the end of branches. The fruit is a cypsela: a dry, one-seeded fruit, usually topped by pappus.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=COTI3. 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Coreopsis+tinctoria&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=2641&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt. 6) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 52, 7) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 148, 8) https://seedsource.com/plains-coreopsis/

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed No Treatment Sown in the fall. Seeds need light to germinate. Seeds germinate within 21 to 28 days, so water them regularly. Seed heads form at the site of a dead or dying flower. If the seed head is already dry, pluck it and crush it between your fingers to harvest the seed, which you can plant the following spring. If the seed head has not dried, cut about 6 inches of the stem it is on and hang it upside down in a warm, dry place until it dries. Then, crush it to harvest the seed. 1) https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/perennial/coreopsis/#:~:text=How%20to%20Propagate%20Coreopsis,seed%2C%20cuttings%2C%20or%20division. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=COTI3 3) https://www.ugaoo.com/blogs/gardening-basics/how-to-grow-coreopsis-plant
Clump Division With a garden trowel, divide the plant into several sections, each with its own roots, being careful not to damage the roots. Plant each division in the garden immediately and water well. Use a spade to lift an entire perennial coreopsis plant and root ball from the ground. Choose a mature plant that is at least two years old. https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/perennial/coreopsis/#:~:text=How%20to%20Propagate%20Coreopsis,seed%2C%20cuttings%2C%20or%20division.
Stem Cutting Remove all the leaves except for those at the top of the cutting. Dip each cutting into rooting hormone and insert it into a pot of vermiculite or perlite until only the top leaves are showing. Moisten the planting medium, and place the pot in a bright, warm place. Check for roots in two or three weeks by gently tugging a leaf. After the cuttings develop a healthy root system, they can be planted in the garden. Cut a 4- to 6-inch piece of stem beneath a node at a 45°F angle. https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/perennial/coreopsis/#:~:text=How%20to%20Propagate%20Coreopsis,seed%2C%20cuttings%2C%20or%20division.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason