Contents
Coreopsis whorled relatively recently gained popularity. Gardeners speak of it as a grateful plant that does not require special care, but effectively decorates any area. A variety of varieties allows you to choose the most suitable culture for the garden.
In the people, coreopsis whorled is called “Paris beauty”, “sun in the garden” or “Lenok”
The history of the emergence of Coreopsis Verticillata
The name Coreopsis whorled comes from Ancient Greece. It consists of the words koris – bug, and opsis – view. The reason for such a strange name was the appearance of the seeds, which reminded the Greeks of a bug.
But the homeland of coreopsis whorled is the east of North America, where it grows in dry light forests and open pine forests. It has been in culture since 1750. Coreopsis whorled has now spread to parts of Africa and South America. It is also found on the territory of Our Country.
Description and characteristics
Coreopsis whorled is a herbaceous perennial of the Astrov family. These are unpretentious and frost-resistant plants that can often be found along highways. Bush 50-90 cm high and up to 60 cm in diameter. The stems are rigid, branched, erect. On them, in opposite order, needle-like light green and dark green leaves are densely arranged. Peri-stem foliage is palmate or pinnately divided, basal leaves are entire.
Flowers with a diameter of about 3 cm, rich yellow, pink, purple, red hues. They resemble small stars or daisies. The color darkens towards the middle. Flowering is plentiful, lasts from the 2nd half of June to September. In place of faded inflorescences, seed pods are formed. Seeds are small, round.
Varieties of Coreopsis whorled perennial
Whorled coreopsis has about 100 varieties, of which about 30 are actively used by gardeners. Among them there are both annual and perennial plants. The latter are in higher demand.
Coreopsis whorled Zagreb
The height of the Zagreb variety reaches only 30 cm. This undersized plant with golden flowers is light-requiring, but it can develop well in a slight shade. It is characterized by resistance to frost and can endure winter without additional shelter.
It is not too demanding on the soil, but it will react to top dressing with an abundance of flowers. It is important to maintain a balance in fertilization and watering. With a high location of groundwater, the roots can rot. For the winter, it is also not worth excessively moistening the plant.
Coreopsis whorled Zagreb received the AGM Award from the Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain in 2001.
Coreopsis whorled Ruby Red
Ruby Red is distinguished by its intense red color. The height of the bush is about 50 cm. The leaves are needle-like, very narrow, light green. Flowers with a diameter of about 5 cm, leaves at the ends with a “torn” effect. In the photo above, you can see that the Ruby Red whorled coreopsis bush is very dense, with a uniform red-green structure.
The winter hardiness zone of the Ruby Red variety is 5, the plant easily tolerates the cold of central Our Country
Coreopsis whorled Moonbeam
Coreopsis whorled Moonbeam is a low-growing variety, reaching a height of 30 cm. The flowers are pale milky yellow, 3-5 cm in diameter. The petals are long, slightly elongated, regular in shape. Heartwood is darker yellow. Leaves needle-like, dark green. Frost resistance zone – 3.
Moonbeam rose to prominence in 1992 after being named perennial of the year by the Perennial Plant Association.
Delicate light yellow flowers make the bush openwork. The Moonbeam variety is perfect for planting in tandem with heliopsis, delphinium, salvia, and eryngium.
Coreopsis whorled Grandiflora
The difference between the Grandiflora variety is high shoots, reaching 70 cm. They have bright yellow flowers with a red splash at the base. Bud diameter is about 6 cm. Petals with a serrated edge. The leaves are not as tall as the shoots, their height is half that. This makes the bush not as thick as other varieties, but no less beautiful.
In 2003, Coreopsis whorled Grandiflora was also awarded the AGM Award from the Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain.
Planting and caring for Coreopsis whorled
Planting coreopsis whorled is possible both by seedling method and immediately in open ground. The first method will make it possible to see flowering in the same year.
Planting seedlings occurs in March-April as follows:
- Sow seeds in a wide, shallow container with fertile soil. Sprinkle the top with a mixture of soil and sand. Water. Cover with a film or a transparent bag to create a greenhouse effect.
- Place the container with seedlings in a warm, bright place. A window sill on the south side is well suited. Once every few days, moisten the soil with a spray bottle.
- After the appearance of the first shoots, the film can be removed.
- 2 weeks after germination, when the plants reach 10-12 cm, the seedlings can dive into separate containers. Peat pots are best. Seedlings require periodic watering and plenty of light. In this position, the plants will remain until the beginning of June, then they need to be transplanted into open ground.
For coreopsis whorled, open sunny areas or light partial shade are suitable. The soil should be neutral, moist and nutritious, well drained.
Landing algorithm:
- Moisten the peat pots with seedlings well so that the soil with the plant can be easily removed.
- Prepare a hole: dig a hole 50 cm deep. If the soil is poor, mix the dug soil with compost and peat in equal proportions. Pour drainage into the bottom of the hole. On it – a little prepared soil.
- The distance between the holes should be at least 30 cm.
- Remove the plant from the pot along with the soil, carefully place it in the hole, sprinkle with the remaining fertilized soil. Lightly tamp the ground, water the seedling.
- To retain moisture in the ground and to prevent weeds, the soil around the plant must be mulched. Overripe sawdust is ideal, but you can use dry grass, hay, straw, bark.
Caring for Coreopsis whorled is quite simple, including watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil and protecting against diseases. In hot weather, water the plant should be 1-2 times a week, in warm weather even less often. Before flowering, coreopsis should be fertilized with a complex mineral composition. Poor soil requires additional feeding before the onset of cold weather. In order for the flowering to be plentiful, and the bush to be lush, the soil must be periodically loosened. This will get rid of weeds and saturate the earth with oxygen. In addition, for stable flowering, faded buds must be cut off immediately. To prevent the appearance of pests and diseases, plants should be treated with insecticides before flowering.
Before winter, the entire bush is cut to 10-15 cm tall. In warm regions, coreopsis hibernates without additional shelter; in the temperate zone, the bush can be insulated with spruce branches or tops. For the northern regions, so that the plant does not die, it is completely dug up and transplanted into a special container.
Coreopsis whorled in landscape design
Not every gardener has the opportunity to have large spaces. To decorate a small area, Coreopsis whorled can be used as a bright background for lower plants. Group plantings look spectacular both on a flat lawn and paired with other bushes, such as spireas and mock oranges.
One of the main advantages of Coreopsis whorled is the versatility of growing: it looks equally good as small flowers, a single bush or an entire alley.
The color differences of Coreopsis whorled varieties allow the culture to be widely combined with other partners. Low-growing varieties will look appropriate along the border in the foreground. In tandem, you can pick up veronica, irises, geranium and ameria for them. External resemblance to chamomile also gives a lot of options. Alternating both crops, grouping with bushes or replacing one flower with another after the end of the planting period in one place – everyone chooses for himself.
The use of coreopsis whorled is popular for decorating city roads and in flower arrangements on the slopes.
In order for whorled coreopsis to please with an abundance of flowers, it should be planted on the south side of buildings, fences, tree and shrub plantations. This culture, planted in street vases, balcony containers, will look like an independent composition. Long flowering will make coreopsis whorled an important figure on the site.
The photo shows an example of a balanced color scheme: bright yellow coreopsis bushes are combined with calm greenery
Conclusion
Coreopsis whorled belongs to those types of flowers that were discovered a long time ago, but for unknown reasons began to gain popularity only recently. In the frantic pace of life in the 21st century, those plants that do not require time and give spectacular results have become valued.