Tickseed (Coreopsis pubescens 'Sunshine Superman')
Coreopsis pubescens 'Sunshine Superman' provides long-lasting yellow blooms. This low-maintenance Tickseed thrives in full sun and dry soil.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Coreopsis pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’ is a compact and exceptionally durable selection of Tickseed, valued for its prolific summer flowering display. This variety brings bright, cheerful yellow daisy-like flowers, highlighted by an orange center disk, to the garden from early summer through September. It excels in situations where other, more demanding perennials might falter, thriving in heat, humidity, and drier conditions once established.
As a true star in the Asteraceae family, this cultivar maintains a tidy, bushy mound of foliage, making it indispensable for borders and cottage garden designs. Gardeners appreciate the low maintenance requirements of Coreopsis pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’, which returns reliably year after year to provide consistent color. Its ability to manage poor, well-drained soils makes it an excellent choice for revitalizing challenging garden spots.
The common name Tickseed refers to the seed shape, but its garden performance is anything but bothersome. Utilizing the compact form of Coreopsis pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’ ensures vibrant, season-long color with minimal cultural input, whether you are planting en masse or in patio containers.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Asteraceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 6-9
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 0.75-1 ft
- Spread: 0.5-0.75 ft
- Bloom Time: June to September
- Bloom Description: Yellow with orange center disk
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Dry to medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
Planting this Tickseed should occur in spring or early fall when conditions allow for establishment. Locate Coreopsis pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’ where it receives full sun, as insufficient light will reduce flowering performance. It thrives in well-drained soil, tolerating conditions ranging from average to poor, sandy, or rocky substrates. Excellence in drainage is the most critical soil requirement to prevent rot issues.
Once established, watering needs are minimal, requiring only dry to medium moisture levels. Avoid consistently wet feet, as this encourages crown rot. Fertilization is generally unnecessary; in fact, overly rich soil may lead to floppier, less vigorous stems. To maximize the bloom window from June onward, practice prompt deadheading of spent flowers.
Summer maintenance can include a hard shear if the foliage begins to sprawl after the main flush of bloom. This encourages fresh, attractive growth. Since these plants can be somewhat short-lived, allowing some seed set can help perpetuate the planting, or you can divide established clumps every few years to maintain vigor, especially when featured in formal borders.
Landscape Uses
The robust yet compact nature of Coreopsis pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’ makes it incredibly versatile across various landscape settings. It is highly recommended for defining the front edge of perennial borders where its 1-foot height won’t obscure neighbors. Furthermore, its tolerance for dry, poor soils means it performs beautifully when naturalized in meadows, prairies, or along sunny slopes.
For cottage gardens, this Tickseed blends wonderfully with salvias, catmint, and ornamental grasses, creating textural contrast against the flat yellow flower faces. The strong preference for excellent drainage also makes Coreopsis pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’ an outstanding candidate for patio containers, often paired with trailing annuals to spill over the edges. Its drought tolerance also makes it useful in xeriscaping designs, offering reliable season-long color where water conservation is a priority.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Coreopsis pubescens, commonly called star tickseed or downy tickseed, is known for its daisy-like flowers featuring yellow rays notched at the tips surrounding a golden center. The genus name highlights its seed shape, resembling a tick. The specific cultivar ‘Sunshine Superman’ is notably compact, reaching only 10-12 inches tall, producing a dense mound of medium green foliage topped by abundant yellow blooms heavily displayed throughout summer.
Tolerances
- Deer
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Shallow-Rocky Soil
Potential Problems
Overall, this Tickseed variety exhibits strong resistance, showing no serious insect or disease problems under proper growing conditions. The primary risk involves cultural error: crown rot is a significant threat if the plant is situated in moist, poorly drained soils. Ensure sharp drainage during planting and restrict supplemental watering to periods of extreme drought to keep your Coreopsis pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’ healthy long term.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Tickseed suitable for?
Coreopsis pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’ is reliably hardy in USDA Zones 6 through 9, though gardeners in Zone 5 should exercise caution regarding winter survival.
How large does Coreopsis pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’ grow?
This compact perennial reaches a modest height between 0.75 and 1 foot tall, spreading slightly less than a foot wide, forming a tidy visual block.
When does Tickseed bloom?
This specific Tickseed variety is celebrated for its long bloom season, offering yellow flowers with orange center disks consistently from June all the way through September.
What sun exposure does Tickseed need?
For the best performance and most profuse flowering, Coreopsis pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’ requires full sun exposure throughout the day.
Conclusion
The combination of rugged drought tolerance, low maintenance demands, and extended summer color makes Coreopsis pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’ an essential player in sunny garden spaces. This Tickseed variety truly lives up to its compact name, delivering vibrant yellow performance reliably. Before planting, confirm your location falls within USDA Zones 6-9 and ensure that your chosen site offers the essential full sun and excellent drainage this perennial requires.
Propagation Tips
Division offers a straightforward method of multiplying established clumps of Tickseed. Perform this work either in early spring before new growth surges, or during the fall season. Carefully lift the entire clump and gently tease apart the roots and crowns into smaller sections, ensuring each division retains healthy roots and several growth points. Replant these divisions promptly into prepared, well-draining soil at the same depth they were previously growing.
Self-seeding is also noted as a way Coreopsis pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’ perpetuates itself in the garden. If you wish to encourage natural spread, simply allow spent flowers to remain on the plant toward the end of the season. However, if you prefer to control the population or if you are growing a sterile cultivar (though this one is noted to self-seed), deadheading spent blooms immediately after flowering will halt seed production entirely.
Companion Planting
When planning borders or cottage gardens around Coreopsis pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’, select companions that share its love for full sun and dry to medium soil conditions. Plants that tolerate lean soils, such as various Sedums or Russian Sage (Perovskia), pair beautifully both culturally and aesthetically. For color contrast against the bright yellow blooms, consider using cool blues or purples from plants like Lavender or Veronica, which thrive under similar low-water regimes.
