Prairie Coreopsis Coreopsis palmata is a Michigan Native plant available at Wild Cherry Farm
Prairie Coreopsis Coreopsis palmata is a Michigan Native plant available at Wild Cherry Farm

Prairie Coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata)

$5.00

Prairie Coreopsis flowers attract many different kinds of native bees, butterflies, moths, and skippers (illinoiswildflower.info), including 15 specialist bees (Johnson and Colla, 2023). It is also a recommended monarch nectar source by the Xerces Society (Xerces.org). Prairie Coreopsis can spread aggressively by rhizomes, but it is at its most awesome in large colonies. Ironically, it is considered endangered in Michigan, so while you may not be preserving the plant that was once here, you are creating habitat for all of the species that may need it for survival. So choose your spot wisely and let this baby spread (mnfi.anr.msu.edu).

Photo credit: Joshua Mayer

Prairie Coreopsis flowers attract many different kinds of native bees, butterflies, moths, and skippers (illinoiswildflower.info), including 15 specialist bees (Johnson and Colla, 2023). It is also a recommended monarch nectar source by the Xerces Society (Xerces.org). Prairie Coreopsis can spread aggressively by rhizomes, but it is at its most awesome in large colonies. Ironically, it is considered endangered in Michigan, so while you may not be preserving the plant that was once here, you are creating habitat for all of the species that may need it for survival. So choose your spot wisely and let this baby spread (mnfi.anr.msu.edu).

Photo credit: Joshua Mayer

Life Cycle: Perennial 

Sun Exposure: Full, Partial (seems to prefer full)

Soil Moisture: Medium-Dry

Height: 2 feet

Plant Spacing:  1-1.5 feet

Bloom Time: June-August

Bloom Color: Yellow

Advantages: Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer Resistant, Recommended, but can be very vigorous

Host: 4 species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (Johnson and Colla, 2023)

Specialist Bee: Pseudopanurgus albitarsis, P. labrosiformis, P. solidaginis, Melissodes coreopsis, M. boltoniae, M. coloradensis, M. dentiventris, M. illatus, M. subillatus, M. trinodis, Savastra petulca, Dieunomia heteropoda, Megachile xylocopoides, Ashmeadiella bucconis, and Osmia coloradensis (Johnson and Colla, 2023)

Species of Concern: State Status: Endangered (legally protected). State Rank: Imperiled (mnfi.anr.msu.edu).

Resource: Johnson, Lorraine, and Sheila Colla. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest. Island Press, 2023

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