Sand coreopsis

Coreopsis lanceolata Bartr.

Family: Asteraceae (aster)

Sand coreopsis

Dan Gibson, MSU Entomology

Sand coreopsis

  • Bloom Period:
    • Early,
    • Mid-Season,
  • Growth Cycle:
    • Perennial,
  • Growth Habit:
    • Forbs/Herbs,
  • Insect Type Attracted:
    • Natural Enemy,
    • Pollinator,
  • Light:
    • Full,
    • Partial,
  • Region:
    • Northern Lower Peninsula,
    • Southern Lower Peninsula,
    • Upper Peninsula
  • Soil Moisture:
    • Dry,
    • Medium,
  • Height:
    • 1-2ft

Natural enemies attracted

Highly attractive: Orius insidiousus.

Moderately attractive: Aeolothripidae, Chalcidoidea, Empididae, and Plagiognathus politus.

Mildly attractive: Cantharidae, Braconidae, Syrphidae, and Stratiomyidae, Thomisidae and Chrysopidae.

Pollinators attracted

Mildly attractive: of sweat bees.

Pests attracted

Highly attractive: lygus bugs.

Moderately attractive: thrips and leafhoppers.

Mildly attractive: root-maggot flies, froghoppers, aphids and weevils.

Plant notes

Bright yellow, daisy-like flowers grow on flower stalks 1-2 ft tall. This plant was in peak bloom in June, but continued to blossom throughout July and August. Plants filled in well in their second summer of growth. This plant was the second most attractive early season blooming plant to natural enemy insects, with four times more natural enemies than the grass control.

Habitat

Sand coreopsis grows in full sun to partial sun, and very dry to somewhat moist sites. It naturally occurs in open sandy banks, roadsides, grasslands, banks, bluffs, in oak-pine woodland, and in some sand dunes along Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. It also does well in gardens.

Cultivation and management

This plant flowers from seed in the second year. It also can be grown from plug material and will then flower in the first year. We did not see evidence of deer or other vertebrate browsing on this species.