Prairie Coreopsis

Plant Info

Also known as:	Stiff Tickseed, Finger Coreopsis
Scientific name:	Coreopsis palmata
Family:	Aster (Asteraceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun; fields, prairies
Bloom season:	late spring, early summer
Plant height:	1 to 3 feet
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

Yellow flower 1½ to 2 inches across with 8 to 12 petals (ray flowers); the center is yellow and turns brown with maturity. There are 2 noticeable impressed veins that run the length of each petal, and there may be a few brownish spots on some. The petal tips are mostly smooth but may have small notches.

The bracts are about ¼ inch long and very narrow, with rounded tips. Each plant may have a few flowers, though a single flower is common.

Leaves:

Leaves are 2 to 4 inches long with no leaf stem and deeply divided into 3 lobes. The center lobe the longest and sometimes has 1 or 2 additional small lobes. The center vein in each lobe is usually light green; each runs all the way down to the leaf base where it attaches to the main stem.

More photos

• small group of Prairie Coreopsis
• a plant just coming into bloom

Photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN, and Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park, Coon Rapids, MN, June-July 2007

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?

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Please: Do not ask about where to buy seed or other gardening questions, are plants edible, etc. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much

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