You might think it’s just another threadleaf coreopsis… until it blooms!
Rose coreopsis is a rare, globally vulnerable species endemic to the eastern North American Atlantic Coastal Plain region, with several disjunct populations along the coast. As an obligate wetland species, it thrives in consistently moist soil, though not directly in the water. You don’t need a bog or a pond, as it does quite well in the garden provided the soil doesn’t dry out, though it can rot if it’s too wet/ponded. The species is perennial and will slowly spread until it reaches an area that is too dry. The population in my garden appears to thrive in part sun conditions.
Where does the name tickseed come from? Some suggest that it’s because the seed looks like ticks (the insect). I don’t see it. Maybe that’s the case in other species? In my opinion, it actually resembles a different kind of tick, the kind which is found on a watch face. It could also be a tick like the kind we use to “tick off a box” on a form (in the US we say checkmark). The etymological history of the word tick also appears to be disjunct, with the one referring to the insect being unrelated to the one used to mark something off. Either way, they have nothing to do with attracting ticks, but rather the seed look like ticks, or tick marks.
Germination
Due to the very tiny seed, you will want to surface sow these so they’re exposed to light. No treatment required otherwise.
Seed Packet Information
Collected from my own plants in 2026. Not tested for germination. Each packet contains at least 20 seeds. Provenance: northeast.
They can reseed in a garden where they’re happy, though I will mention that each individual flower does not produce many seeds. In my experience maybe 2-3 really good seeds at most, with a good number of smaller possibly viable seeds? I’m not sure why that’s the case, as my garden is constantly full of all sorts of pollinators. For that reason, although the seeds are fairly tiny, I can’t offer much more than 20 seeds per packet (counting specifically the good, thick seeds only).
Limit 1 packet per customer.
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