Coreopsis palustris 'Summer Sunshine'

Common: swamp tickseed

Coreopsis palustris 'Summer Sunshine' - LP50

Height: 3'-4'
Spread: 3'-4'
Spacing: 24"
Hardiness Zone(s): 6-9

Vigorous mounds of foliage reach up to a sturdy 30” tall. Flower display lasts for a full 6 weeks. Bright and sunny for end of summer blooming that holds through the fall. C. palustris is native to the swampy forests of the south and particularly prolific in the Carolinas. It is one of the slower spreading Coreopsis and is a faculative that tolerates wet roots for extended periods. Mt. Cuba Center's 2015 Coreopsis Trial

Characteristics & Attributes

Exposure

Full Sun

Soil Moisture Needs

Moist
Wet

Green Infrastructure

Bioretention/Rain Garden

For Animals

Pollinator-friendly
Songbird-friendly

Attributes

Cut Flower
Clay Tolerance
Native to North America

Season of Interest (Flowering)

Summer

Propagation Type

Vegetative

Interesting Notes

Bright clear yellow flowers with dark centers grab your attention for Coreopsis palustris ‘Summer Sunshine’. A late season bloomer supplying essential nectar to pollinators while other wildflowers are closing up shop, this Coreopsis was the highest rated in Mt. Cuba Center’s Coreopsis Trials. Superior performance in long lasting bloom time and disease resistance, this plant received a perfect rating. ‘Summer Sunshine’ grows about 3’ tall and has shiny deep green foliage that is tidy and disease-free and then is covered in blooms for over six weeks in late summer.

Coreopsis palustris is originally from the pine savannas of North Carolina tolerates heat, humidity, and hydric soil conditions. Preferring full sun, it grows slowly at 2’ every three years by rhizome. This plant can take a range of soil conditions including heavy clay soils.

The cultivar ‘Summer Sunshine’ does much better in garden conditions – the straight species can be ravaged by disease pressure and defoliated by September while the cultivar remains pristine and in full bloom. In our own trial, we found Coreopsis palustris 'Summer Sunshine' to grow well in containers and hold up to close inspection of the leaves to usual pest and disease damage. The blooms really stand out with their golden yellow coloring and dark centers. Coreopsis species support over 40 different species of insects including some predatory insects which are essential for a strong garden ecosystem.