Red Elf Tickseed (Coreopsis 'Red Elf')
kor-ee-OP-sis 'Red Elf'

Deciduous Perennial in the Asteraceae Family
 

About Tickseeds

Have a big blank sunny spot just waiting to be filled with color? Boy, do we have the plant for you.

Coreopsis, commonly known as “Tickseed,” is a sun-loving wonder. This plant will bloom for months and loves hot, dry weather. It has a unique structure: thin, airy stems with small leaves are uniformly topped with flowers, creating a mass of color atop a delicate green mound. This plant will spread slowly from season to season, but it is not considered invasive and can be divided and replanted if it grows too big for its space.

Many Coreopsis varieties are native to Illinois, and thrive in the hot, dry Illinois prairie, which explains why they’re so tough. 

Coreopsis flowers resemble daisies or other more “casual” blooms, so they bring a cottagy, wildflowery, whimsical vibe to the garden. Mostly yellow but available in reds, oranges, and pinks, Tickseed is just… a happy plant!

Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb', also called “Threadleaf Coreopsis,” has a feathery, “thready” leaf structure that almost resembles Dill or Cosmos. Small bright yellow flowers abound at the crown of this plant, topping the dense but delicate mound of foliage. 

Coreopsis lanceolata, or Lanceleaf Coreopsis, is an Illinois native and proves it with its toughness. This is one hardy plant! Yellow blooms appear in early summer and last for weeks, attracting native pollinators like a charm.  

Coreopsis palmata, or Stiff Tickseed, is native to Illinois and sports 2” bright yellow blooms atop 1.5-2.5 foot-high stems. This plant is a great choice for hot, dry, sunny spots, as it thrives naturally on the prairies of Illinois.

Pros

  • Sun, heat, and drought tolerant
  • Long bloom period
  • Reliable, easy grower
  • Deer resistant
  • Attracts pollinators
  • Make great cut flowers

Cons

  • Plant remains healthier if blooms are sheared once they’ve died back
  • May need dividing if it outgrows its space
  • Will not bloom well in full shade
 

Plant Data

Tags Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Pollinators, Attracts Wildlife, Container, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Extended Bloom Time, Filler, Formal Garden, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Good for Rocky Soil, Low Maintenance, Nativar, Naturalizing, Normal Soil, Perennial, Prairie Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Reblooms, Showy Flowers, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Shallow Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Woodland Garden
Flower Color

Photos of This with...

Orange Elf Tickseed
 
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Pricing and Availability History

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Limited Availability

We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!


Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

Shoot us an email at help@northshoreplantclub.com, and we'll be happy to talk about plants or let you know when it's time to buy them!


No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!