Tickseed: sowing, annual and perennial species and care

Annual dyer's tickseed and perennial species: direct sowing and starting under cover, position, summer trimming and solutions to the most common problems.

In short: Tickseed (Coreopsis) is a North American flower with yellow flower heads, often with a reddish-brown blotch. Annual tickseed is sown in April to May straight into the bed, perennial species are started in March. It wants full sun and rather poor, well-drained soil. It flowers from June to September and, according to the ASPCA, is not poisonous to dogs or cats.

Latin name	Coreopsis, daisy family
Height	30–100 cm depending on the species
Sowing outdoors	April–May, just press in, germinates in light
Starting under cover	March–April, 18–20 °C, germinates in 1–3 weeks
Spacing	25–40 cm
Flowering	June–September, longer after trimming

Tickseed is one of the few flowers that flower more the less you look after them. In a sunny dry spot it flowers from June to September, and honeybees, hoverflies and butterflies visit its yellow flowers in summer. It suits an annual bed, a flower meadow, the edge of a perennial border and a large window box.

In shops and catalogues several species hide under the name tickseed. Some are annual, others last for years in the garden. Before you start sowing, it is good to know which one you have.

Annual and perennial tickseed: how they differ

According to botany.cz the genus Coreopsis has roughly a hundred species, all coming from the Americas. In Czech gardens mainly these four are grown:

Species	Type	Height	Distinguishing feature
dyer's tickseed (C. tinctoria)	annual	30–70 cm, exceptionally more	flower heads 2–4 cm, yellow with a reddish-brown blotch near the centre
large-flowered tickseed (C. grandiflora)	short-lived perennial	40–80 cm	large pure yellow flower heads, often double-flowered varieties
lance-leaved tickseed (C. lanceolata)	perennial	30–60 cm, exceptionally up to 100 cm	flower heads 6–10 cm, lance-shaped hairy leaves
threadleaf tickseed (C. verticillata)	long-lived perennial	40–60 cm	fine needle-like leaves, small star-shaped flowers

Annual dyer's tickseed is the fastest: from sowing it flowers in roughly 10–12 weeks. Large-flowered and lance-leaved tickseed, sown in March, often flower already in the first year, then last 2–4 years and self-seed. Threadleaf tickseed is usually bought as a ready-grown plant and propagated by division; well-known varieties such as 'Moonbeam' or 'Zagreb' do not come true from seed.

Sowing tickseed step by step

Straight into the bed

For annual dyer's tickseed direct sowing is the simplest way. Seedlings tolerate a light ground frost, so it can be sown from mid-April.

Clear the bed of weeds and level the surface lightly with a rake. Do not add manure or compost.
Scatter the seeds broadcast or in rows 25–30 cm apart.
Just press the seeds in with a board or the palm of your hand. Tickseed germinates in light, and a thick layer of soil slows germination.
Until they come up, keep the surface moist with a fine spray. At 15–20 °C they germinate in 1–3 weeks.
Thin the plants that come up to 20–30 cm. Dense stands draw each other up and flop.

Starting under cover on a windowsill

Sow perennial tickseeds in March to April in a tray of seed compost. Again just press in the seeds and place the tray in a bright spot at 18–20 °C. Once they have 2–3 true leaves, prick the seedlings out into cell trays, and after mid-May plant them out 30–40 cm apart.

Dyer's tickseed is also part of many pollinator meadows. How to establish and maintain such an area is described in the article Flower meadow – how to establish and maintain it.

Where to plant tickseed

Tickseed is a prairie plant. It needs full sun, at least six hours a day, and well-drained, rather poorer soil. In a nutritious bed after feeding it grows tall, flops and flowers less. In partial shade it stretches towards the light.

Annual bed. Dyer's tickseed combines well with cornflowers, marigolds, cosmos or blue sages.
Perennial border. Large-flowered and threadleaf tickseed belong in the front and middle, with coneflowers, sages and ornamental grasses. You will find other suitable perennials in the article ornamental perennials – plant once, enjoy for years.
Window box and container. Low varieties up to 40 cm suit. The container needs drainage and, in summer, watering when the top layer of compost has dried out.
For a vase. Dyer's tickseed cuts well and lasts roughly a week in a vase. Cut the stems in the morning when the flowers have just opened.

Summer care: how to extend flowering

Watering is needed only in the first weeks after planting and then only in long dry spells. Established plants tolerate drought well; permanent wet is worse for them.

Tickseed hardly needs feeding. On poor sandy soil one weak dose of general-purpose fertiliser in spring is enough. More fertiliser means more leaves and fewer flowers.

You can extend flowering by removing faded flower heads. With small-flowered species that is laborious, so it is more practical to shorten the whole plant by roughly a third once in July. Within two to three weeks it regrows and flowers again until September. If you want self-seeding for next year, let a few flower heads ripen in autumn.

Winter with perennial species

Perennial tickseeds are hardy but do not tolerate winter wet. Leave the dry stems until spring, then cut them to the ground. Large-flowered tickseed weakens after 2–4 years, so it is good to let it self-seed or divide the clump in spring. Divide threadleaf tickseed every 3–4 years, when the clump thins out in the middle.

Why tickseed flops and does not flower

Problem	Most common cause	Solution
plants flop	soil too rich, shade, dense sowing	thin them, do not feed, choose a sunnier spot next time; shorten by a third in July
few flowers, lots of leaves	too much nitrogen, partial shade	stop feeding, move to sun
white coating on leaves	powdery mildew in a dry, warm summer	increase spacing, water at the roots, remove affected parts
perennial did not shoot in spring	wet in winter, or natural end of life in the large-flowered species	plant in well-drained soil, count on renewal by seed
seedlings vanished overnight	slugs	protect young plants, check on damp evenings

General advice on better germination and the care of spring sowings is summarised in the article how to tame spring sowings.

Frequently asked questions

When should I sow tickseed?

Annual dyer's tickseed is sown from mid-April to the end of May straight into the bed. Perennial species are started in March to April on a windowsill and planted out after mid-May.

Is tickseed a perennial?

Some species are. Dyer's tickseed is an annual, large-flowered and lance-leaved tickseed are short-lived perennials lasting 2–4 years, and threadleaf tickseed lasts many years in one place.

How deep should I sow tickseed?

Hardly at all. The seeds germinate in light, so just press them onto moist soil or compost. If you do cover them, then with a thin layer of at most 2 mm.

When does tickseed flower?

From June to September. If you shorten the plant by a third in July or remove faded flower heads as you go, it flowers until the first frosts.

Is tickseed poisonous to dogs and cats?

The ASPCA database lists tickseed (the entry for Coreopsis californica) as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Other species are not listed there separately, but toxic substances are not reported for the genus. If an animal eats a large amount, it may have only mild digestive upset, as after any plant food.

Sources

Updated: 27 September 2026

Author: Jana Vránová, the editorial name of the Pěstík.cz team. She writes about the garden, herbs and essential oils. We take safety and dosage data from specialist literature and official sources, which we cite in every article.