Description The first time I grew plains coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria), from a single plant sold in a 4-inch pot, I was distinctly underwhelmed. It was spindly and tall—well, until it keeled over just as it started flowering—and the overall effect was sad and messy. I had forgotten about that disappointment when I bought a packet of its seed a few years later, and I’m so glad I did. This time, I sowed the seed directly in the garden and ended up with a nice-sized patch of stronger plants that wove together to help hold each other up, creating an airy haze of green topped with a cloud of bright yellow, dark-eyed blooms from midsummer to frost. They did still sprawl a bit after some windy weather—you may choose to put some sort of cage around your patch—but the plants didn’t mind at all when I trimmed them back a bit to tidy them up, reducing the overall height from about 4 feet to 3 feet and encouraging even more flowers to form. Despite their height, the plants are open enough to allow nearby plants to get light too, making them a great choice for filling space between developing perennials and shrubs for the first year or two, while you’re waiting for a border to fill in. Plains coreopsis is also known as dyer’s (or dyers’) coreopsis, because the flowers can be used to make a yellow, orange, or red dye. This sun-loving, western United States native is generally grown as an annual, though the plants may live over winter and bloom another year or even two in some sites. Plains coreopsis can also self-sow freely, appearing in the same general area year after year. Collected in August and September 2025. At least 25 seeds. Ecotype unknown. Shipping to U.S. addresses only. Please read the germination information as well before ordering.
