October 2005
Ohio Prairie Plant of the MonthSpecies
Common Name Tall Coreopsis
Latin Name: Coreopsis tripteris [Pronounced: "cor-ee-0P-sis TRIP-ter-is"]
Type of Plant: Prairie Forb ("wildflower")
Identification Helps: At the end of the season, in October, tall coreopsis is usually tall, up to 6 ft, sometimes even higher. The finger-like leaves are typical. See the photo to the left -- although these are orange-colored only for a week or two in October -- green otherwise. Stems are thin and smooth.
Similar Species: No other Ohio plant looks like tall coreopsis. The leaf form is unique. In prairies west of Ohio, several other coreopsis species are common, but none are tall.
Preferred Growing Conditions in the Wild: In Ohio, tall coreopsis grows in both mesic (normal moisture) and hydric (wet) prairies.
Seasons of Growth and Bloom: The species blooms from July through October.
Natural Distribution in Ohio: Tall coreopsis is found in all Ohio prairie regions.
Description and General Information: In the first half of the growing season, tall coreopsis grows moderately without flowers and is generally unnoticed. It can be identified then only by its unique leaves. But in late July and August the plant shoots skyward above the tallgrasses. The numerous yellow flowers stand above the surrounding grasses.
The species is easily grown in prairie restorations and prairie gardens. Various song birds consume the seeds in autumn and winter.