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Common Name:

General Information

Coreopsis gigantea is a perennial plant that can grow up to 2.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

South-western N. America - California and Baja California.

Habitat

By the coast on rocky sea cliffs and exposed dunes to 50 metres in California[].

Properties

Habit	Perennial
Height	2.50 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[]. Prefers a fertile well-drained moisture retentive medium soil[, ]. Requires a sunny position[, ]. Established plants are drought resistant[].
This species is not very cold hardy in Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -3°c[, ]. It dislikes winter wet and so is also apt to die out over the winter if grown on clay soils[]. It is best grown in a greenhouse in this country[]. In its native habitat the plant is a shrub or sub-shrub, but the branches die back in Britain where it acts more as a perennial[].
The cut flowers last well in water[].
The flowers are loved by bees[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

An orange to red/orange dye is obtained from the flowers and stems[].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer[].
The seed can also be sown in an outdoor seedbed in mid spring. Once they are more than 15cm tall, plant the seedlings out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Division in spring or autumn[]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer or following spring.
Cuttings of young basal shoots, May/early summer in a frame[]. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.