Plant-trial results Coreopsis you

‘Pumpkin Pie’ ‘Flower Tower’

while back—27 years, to be years, this small group ruled in peren- In the midst of the frenzy of tender and exact—the Chicago Botanic nial gardens. hardy varieties springing up from east to A Garden created a garden solely Then, the introduction of ‘Limerock west, we started a new coreopsis trial. to compare perennials, and coreop- Ruby’ in 2001 took the gardening world From the beginning, there was more to sis was one of the inaugural trials. We by storm; it was instantly popular for trial than just the avalanche of colorful tested mostly seed-grown cultivars of its bold, beautiful ruby-red flowers. But hybrids. For instance, we included a few large-flower coreopsis (C. grandiflora) excitement quickly turned to disappoint- natives that gardeners might not know and lanceleaf coreopsis (C. lanceolata), ment with the discovery that ‘Limerock well. Despite the hope of hardier which were fraught with identity issues Ruby’ was not really cold hardy. Since options, I’m a bit discouraged that some and ephemeral natures, but the trial also then, new colorful tickseeds have trick- of the new coreopsis have not proved to featured a handful of outstanding hardy led—and flowed—into garden centers. be strong growers or long-lived. To be threadleaf coreopsis (C. verticillata) Embracing the expanded color palette honest, I think it’s best to think of most cultivars such as ‘Zagreb’, ‘Golden came easily, but a question loomed: Would coreopsis as short-lived perennials—it Shower’, and ‘Moonbeam’. For many they be hardier than ‘Limerock Ruby’? makes it easier to accept the inevitable

44 Fine Gardening | october 2016 Coreopsis you can count on! These stars are guaranteed to stay disease-free and stick around when the chips are down By Richard Hawke

‘Moonray’ ‘Walter’

loss. However, there are varieties that of its free-flowering nature and tightly At a glance stick around longer than others and put mounded habit, which bulked up spp. and cvs. on a brilliant, disease-free show to boot. quickly after planting. If you live in Coreopsis a cooler zone, grow ‘Pumpkin Pie’ in USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9 Top performers worth buying containers and mixed beds the way you Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil Who can resist pie? Not me, which is would any annual, but hold off on the Bloom Time: Early summer to fall why I’m highlighting one of the non- whipped cream. Propagation: Division in spring or fall; self-sowing hardy coreopsis in the Pie™ series. At almost 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide, Problems: Powdery mil- ‘Pumpkin Pie’ (C. ‘Pumpkin Pie’) was broad-shouldered ‘Flower Tower’ tall dew, downy mildew, leaf as delectable as the seasonal pastry, with coreopsis (C. tripteris ‘Flower Tower’) is spot, fusaruim flower rot deep coppery-orange flowers dotted a bold statement worth making room for. occasionally with red eyes. We grew this as an annual In a large border or wild garden, ‘Flower Pollinators attracted: Honeybee (pictured), for one summer—its hardiness rating is Tower’ pairs dramatically with other big bumblebee, sweat bee, and Zones 8 to 9—and loved every minute boys such as switchgrass (Panicum spp. hoverflies basics 

How to divide coreposis Dividing short-lived coreopsis (C. grandiflora and cvs., C. lanceolata and cvs.) every two to three years in spring or fall may keep them around longer. Threadleaf coreopsis (C. verticillata and cvs., pictured) and pink coreopsis (C. rosea and cvs.) should be divided every three years, too, if needed—this is typically when the center of a plant is dead or the crown has become loose or thin with scattered shoots (picture Vice President Joe Biden’s hair).

1| Dig out the plant completely. 2| Divide the clump using a spade 3| Replant the divisions into their (split a 1-foot-diameter clump new location. into four or five smaller chunks).

The demands, diseases, and downfalls of coreopsis Coreopsis are not overly picky garden plants—if you give them full sun and moist, well-drained soils. They are even drought tolerant once established. Good drainage is crucial in summer and winter because wet soils cause hardiness and longevity issues.

Hold the fertilizer Coreopsis like their soil a little lean, so you don't need to worry about feeding them regularly.

Grab the shears Deadheading or shearing after the first bloom promotes continued flowering as well as reinvigorates Good circulation prevents disease plants before going into winter, Powdery mildew (pictured on which improves plant longevity. lanceleaf coreopsis) can be a significant problem, especially on Beware of furry foes threadleaf coreopsis and hybrid In 2015, rabbits devoured all cultivars. Good air circulation is our newly planted coreopsis the best defense for plants. In all (pictured); threadleaf types and but the most severe cases, pow- hybrid cultivars were particularly dery mildew is only a cosmetic succulent to them. Protect your issue and won’t kill the plants. new plants with cages, if needed.

46 Fine Gardening | october 2016 and cvs., Zones 5–9) and ironweed (Vernonia spp. and cvs., Zones 5–9). Its yellow flowers are larger, its leaves are darker green, and its stems are thicker than the native straight species. I’d like to say that its colossal stems stay up all summer, but without supportive neighbors, some of the outer stems will recline. ‘Flower Tower’ starts out a bit gangly, but by the second year, the num- ber of stems increases greatly. Pale yellow ‘Moonray’ threadleaf coreopsis (C. verticillata ‘Moonray’, p. 45) glows with a soft luminescence— it’s a sport of the popular ‘Moonbeam’ (C. verticillata ‘Moonbeam’). The mel- low yellow flowers look great with deeper tones of blue and purple, and blend beautifully with pastel pinks and lavenders or silver leaves. ‘Moonray’ has a pleasing habit, forming low, compact mounds. Like other threadleaf coreopsis, its dark green leaves are divided into nar- row needlelike segments, which give it a delicate fernlike look. Not all plants have fancy names; some- times they’re just called—well—Walter. In the case of ‘Walter’ lanceleaf coreopsis (C. lanceolata ‘Walter’, p. 45), an unas- suming name is attached to a rather lovely plant. Copious semidouble, golden-yellow flowers with red-blotched centers fes- tooned ‘Walter’ for much of the summer. A reliably bushy habit marked it as one of the strongest performers in the trial. Typi- cally, I recommend using both lanceleaf and large-flower coreopsis like annuals, hoping they seed around but not caring what type of flowers show up. But where ‘Walter’ is concerned, I liked that it did its thing year after year in the same place. ‘Sienna Sunset’ threadleaf coreopsis (C. verticillata ‘Sienna Sunset’) didn’t have an exactly perfect performance, but I like it so much, I’m including it as a top pick anyway. ‘Sienna Sunset’ is a bit of a chameleon in flower—it opens burnt sienna and lightens to apricot, but feels a little bit orange, yellow, and reddish all at the same time. With so many flowers ‘Sienna Sunset’ blooming from summer to fall, there’s

finegardening.com 47 plenty of time to ponder the color of the moment. The only thing that kept ‘Sienna Sunset’ from being a perfect plant was some significant dying off of the crown of the plant in two winters. On the bright side, the plants bounced back pretty quickly in spring to form bushy mounds with delightfully fine-textured leaves. For me, ‘Golden Shower’ threadleaf coreopsis (C. verticillata ‘Golden Shower’) and Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia, Zones 4–9) make a pleasing pair—so simple, yet a brilliant combina- tion of color, texture, and form. ‘Golden Shower’, also known as ‘Grandiflora’, is an old-timer in the world of coreopsis and was a consistent performer in both of our trials. The only downside to the ample 2-inch, golden-yellow flowers is that they become nasty black seed heads that must be removed. Shear the plants when the bulk of the flowers have passed, and consider seeking therapy if you try to nip each deadhead one at a time. ‘Golden ‘Golden Shower’ Shower’ has an upright bushy habit and spreads by rhizomes to become a sizable patch about 3 feet across. In autumn, the foliage turns golden-orange to yellow with burgundy highlights—a bit reminiscent of Arkansas blue star (Amsonia hubrichtii, Zones 5–8). A compact selection of the native star coreopsis, ‘Sunshine Superman’ (C. pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’) has single golden-yellow flowers floating over low, broad mounds of fuzzy green leaves. Although it was unlike any other coreop- sis in appearance, it stood toe-to-toe with the best when it came to its spectacular floral show. By the third year, seedlings began to pop up around the garden—the species is known as a generous reseeder. While I wouldn’t mind this behavior in a meadow garden, the seedlings were over a foot taller than the original plants, giving the display a ragged look. Butterflies and goldfinches love ‘Sunshine Superman’, but deer leave it alone. ‘Sunshine Superman’ Richard Hawke is the plant-evaluation manager at Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois.

FG digital extra For more results from the coreopsis trial, go to FineGardening.com/Extras. New kids to keep an eye on

There’s no denying the allure of red—it’s lush, sexy, and seductive, whether in fashion or flow- ers. So naturally, I was instantly drawn to the deep burgundy red flowers of ‘Red Elf’ (C. ‘Red Elf’), a I definitely have a little crush on Crème Caramel™ threadleaf core- stunning new cultivar in the compact Li’l Bang™ opsis (C. verticillata ‘Novcorcar’)—it’s probably the best tickseed I’ve series. In the heat of summer, the tips of the flower grown in the past two years and certainly was the star of 2015. The rays are frosted pale yellow or white, but return to orange flowers (nearly 2 inches wide) start out yellow with a muted cop- fully red in cooler weather. ‘Red Elf’ has a diminu- pery overlay and age to pinky-peach and pale red. Its terracotta-hued tive habit, 8 to 12 inches tall and 12 to 15 inches flowers are similar to but darker than ‘Sienna Sunset’. Beginning in early wide. Like others in the series, ‘Red Elf’ is mildew summer, bounteous blossoms blanket the plants in a delightful layering resistant and sterile, so plants remain healthy while of flowers over flowers. Crème Caramel™ quickly forms bushy mounds blooming all summer. averaging 17 inches tall and 29 inches wide.

‘Firefly’ threadleaf coreopsis (C. verticillata ‘Firefly’) is a stunning little guy loaded with bicolored yellow and red flow- ers from early summer through fall. The glow of ‘Firefly’ is bright, but not brassy; the cen- ter of each 1½-inch flower is deep mahogany, which forms a perfect bull’s-eye. ‘Firefly’ has a tight bushy habit and was 9 inches tall and 12 inch- es wide in its second summer. It comes on fast, quickly form- The butter yellow flowers of ‘Enchanted Eve’ ing into perfect mounds and (C. ‘Enchanted Eve’) feature a light red eye that doing overtime on flower pro- expands with the onset of cooler temperatures. duction. Although touted as Its flowers are 2 inches wide with ragged tips and mildew resistant, we observed are pretty at any stage. ‘Enchanted Eve’, another serious mildew the first year member of the Li’l Bang™ series, is 12 inches tall but none the following year. As and 18 inches wide. I’m impressed with this series expected of threadleaf core- so far, but time will tell how long these compact opsis, ‘Firefly’ has so far been ill Johnson (p. 44, left; p. 48, top); millettephotomedia.com (p. right; 45, top left and 47; bottom); M artin S taffler/ Johnson (p. noted: D anielle S herry; B ill Photos, except where (p. 50) R adzkou/dreamstime.com (p. 46, bottom left); A ndrei gapphotos.com (p. 45, bottom); S teve A itken 46, top); courtesy of L eanne Pundt plants will stick around. bone-hardy.

finegardening.com 49 A minimum of aram ete rs Good Fair Poor Excellent

5b

Ra ting key

★★ ★ ★★★★ ★★★ Trial p the Chicago Since 2007, - has evalu Botanic Garden ated 89 types of coreopsis trials. Seven in comparative were coreopsis nonhardy trialed as annuals for one season only. How long: four years Cultivars Participants: coreopsis of threadleaf large-flower verticillata ), ( C. ), grandiflora ( C. coreopsis and lanceleaf coreopsis lanceolata ) featured ( C. prominently in the trial. Zone: Conditions: Full sun; alka - well-drained clay-loam, line, soil allowing Minimal, Care: the plants to thrive or fail conditions. under natural observed We ornamental the growth monitored traits, and adaptation ability to environmental and soil a close and kept conditions, on any disease or pest eye Winter injury and problems. also recorded. losses were w er fair excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent good excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent good excellent excellent excellent good excellent excellent excellent excellent good excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent good excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent fair good excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent good good good good excellent good excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent Flo P rodu c tion early summer to fall early summer to fall early summer to fall early summer to fall early summer to fall midsummer to early fall midsummer to early fall midsummer to late fall midsummer to late fall midsummer to late fall early summer to late summer early summer to late summer early summer to late summer early summer to late summer early summer to late summer early summer to fall early summer to fall early summer to late summer early summer to late summer early summer to fall early summer to fall early summer to late summer early summer to late summer early summer to fall midsummer to early fall midsummer to late fall midsummer to late fall midsummer to late fall early summer to fall early summer to fall midsummer to late fall midsummer to late fall midsummer to late fall midsummer to late fall early summer to fall early summer to fall midsummer to late fall midsummer to late fall early summer to fall early summer to fall early summer to fall early fall to midfall midsummer to late fall early summer to fall early summer to late summer early summer to late summer early summer to late summer early summer to late summer midsummer to late fall early summer to fall early summer to fall midsummer to late fall midsummer to late fall midsummer to late fall Bloom T im e w er inches inches inches inches inches inches inches inches inches inches inches inches inches inches 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ inches 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 8 ⁄ 3 inches 1 1½ inches 2 inches 2 inches 1 2¼ inches 1 1½ inches 2¼ inches 2 inches 3 inches 1½ inches 2 inches 1 3 inches 2 inches 1 1 2 inches 2 inches 2 inches 1½ inches 2½ inches 1 2½ inches 2½ inches 3 inches 1 1 1½ inches 1½ inches 2 inches 1¼ inches 1 2¼ inches 2 inches 1 inch 2 inches 2 inches 1 1½ inches 2 inches 1½ inches 1½ inches 1 1 inch 1 inch 1 1¼ inches 1¼ inches 1¼ inches 1 5 Flo S ize w er Color creamy yellow creamy bright yellow, purple blotch butter yellow bright yellow light yellow light and dark purple golden-yellow, fluted rays bright yellow white, purple blotch purple-red light yellow, blotch red golden-yellow orange golden-yellow, blotch red white, creamy purple blotch golden-red, blotch red golden-yellow, blotch burgundy golden-yellow, fluted rays golden-yellow, purple blotch golden-yellow golden-yellow, blotch red golden-yellow, double golden-yellow golden-yellow golden-yellow, blotch, semi- red double golden-yellow, extra rays golden-yellow, blotch, double red golden-yellow golden-yellow, blotch red golden-yellow, blotch, semi- red double bright yellow golden-yellow golden-yellow purple, darker blotch lemon yellow yellow yellow golden-yellow golden-yellow golden-yellow light yellow pale yellow yellow and red bright yellow light orange, yellow golden-yellow red orange yellow, overtones ruby red rusty orange burnt orange, yellow undertones deep yellow, blotch red coppery orange, blotch red dull red Flo 12 inches 28 inches 24 inches 46 inches 32 inches 32 inches 19 inches 48 inches 36 inches 28 inches 28 inches 36 inches 24 inches 20 inches 30 inches 20 inches 10 inches 23 inches 20 inches 20 inches 26 inches 23 inches 15 inches 38 inches 16 inches 40 inches 30 inches 50 inches 16 inches 32 inches 32 inches 46 inches 34 inches 12 inches 63 inches 50 inches 48 inches 12 inches 24 inches 36 inches 27 inches 30 inches 40 inches 30 inches 32 inches 32 inches 12 inches 12 inches 30 inches 11 inches 10 inches 14 inches 8 inches 11 inches Widt h 18 inches 15 inches 14 inches 32 inches 15 inches 14 inches 16 inches 48 inches 12 inches 15 inches 26 inches 30 inches 12 inches 12 inches 20 inches 16 inches 14 inches 19 inches 15 inches 21 inches 16 inches 7 inches 29 inches 12 inches 31 inches 22 inches 8 inches 24 inches 40 inches 30 inches 21 inches 13 inches 93 inches 68 inches 10 inches 24 inches 24 inches 12 inches 15 inches 24 inches 14 inches 16 inches 16 inches 8 inches 10 inches 22 inches 7 inches 10 inches 8 inches 8 inches 11 inches 16 inches 35 inches 95 inches Heig h t Coreposis trial results Coreposis ower’ etra-Giants’ ull’ equila S unrise’ C . ‘ osmic E volution’ C . ‘ osmic E ye’ B rulee™ (‘ C rembru’) C . rème C . ‘Full M oon’ C . ‘Galaxy’ Gate’ C . ‘Heaven’s T C . ‘ Jethro C . ‘ L ightning Flash ’ D ream’ C . ‘ L imerock R ising’ C . ‘ M ercury C . ‘ R edshift’ C . ‘ S chnittgold’ C . ‘ S ienna unset’ C . ‘ S onnenkind’ C. ‘ S tar C luster’ C. ‘ S terntaler’ C. ‘ T C. auriculata ‘Zamphir’ C. grandiflora ‘ B aby S un’ C. grandiflora S unny D ay™ (‘ B alcorsunay’) C. grandiflora ‘ D omino’ C. grandiflora ‘ E arly S unrise’ C. grandiflora ‘Goldfink’ C. grandiflora ‘ M ayfield Giant’ C. grandiflora ‘ R otkelchen’ C. grandiflora ‘ S unburst’ C . grandiflora ‘ S unray’ C. grandiflora ‘ T C. lanceolata ‘ L ittle S undial’ C. lanceolata ‘Walter’ C. major C. palmata C . pubescens ‘ S unshine uperman’ C. rosea ‘ D reamcatcher’ C. tripteris C. tripteris ‘Flower T C. tripteris ‘Gold S tandard’ C. verticillata ‘Golden D ream’ C. verticillata ‘Golden Gain’ C. verticillata ‘Golden S hower’ C. verticillata ‘ M oonbeam’ C. verticillata ‘ M oonray’ C . verticillata ‘ R oute 66’ C. verticillata ‘ S unbeam’ C. verticillata ‘ S weet M armalade’ C. verticillata ‘Zagreb’ C . ‘ herry Pie’ C . ‘ L emon Punch’ R uby’ C . ‘ L imerock C . ‘ L ittle Penny’ C . ‘ M ango Punch’ C . ‘Pineapple Pie’ C . ‘Pumpkin Pie’ C . ‘ R um Punch’ Coreopsis R ating ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

50 Fine Gardening | date 20xx Rating Coreopsis Height Width Flower Color Flower Bloom Time Flower Size Production ★ ★ C. ‘Cosmic Evolution’ 18 inches 12 inches creamy yellow 3 inches early summer to early fall fair

3 ★ ★ C. ‘Cosmic Eye’ 15 inches 28 inches bright yellow, 1 ⁄4 inches early summer to early fall excellent purple blotch ★ ★ ★ C. Crème Brulee™ (‘Crembru’) 14 inches 24 inches butter yellow 1½ inches early summer to early fall excellent ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Full Moon’ 32 inches 46 inches bright yellow 2 inches early summer to early fall excellent ★ ★ C. ‘Galaxy’ 15 inches 32 inches light yellow 2 inches early summer to early fall excellent

3 ★ ★ C. ‘Heaven’s Gate’ 14 inches 32 inches light and dark 1 ⁄4 inches early summer to early fall excellent purple ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Jethro Tull’ 16 inches 19 inches golden-yellow, 2¼ inches early summer to early fall excellent fluted rays

3 ★ ★ C. ‘Lightning Flash’ 48 inches 48 inches bright yellow 1 ⁄4 inches early fall to midfall good ★ ★ C. ‘Limerock Dream’ 12 inches 36 inches white, purple 1½ inches midsummer to early fall excellent blotch Trial parameters ★ ★ C. ‘Mercury Rising’ 15 inches 28 inches purple-red 2¼ inches midsummer to early fall good Since 2007, the Chicago ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Redshift’ 26 inches 28 inches light yellow, 2 inches midsummer to late fall excellent Botanic Garden has evalu- red blotch ated 89 types of coreopsis in comparative trials. Seven ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Schnittgold’ 30 inches 36 inches golden-yellow 3 inches midsummer to late fall excellent nonhardy coreopsis were trialed as annuals for one ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Sienna Sunset’ 12 inches 24 inches orange 1½ inches midsummer to late fall excellent season only. ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Sonnenkind’ 12 inches 20 inches golden-yellow, 2 inches early summer to late excellent red blotch summer How long: A minimum of four years 3 ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Star Cluster’ 20 inches 30 inches creamy white, 1 ⁄4 inches midsummer to late fall good purple blotch Participants: Cultivars of threadleaf coreopsis ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Sterntaler’ 16 inches 20 inches golden-red, 3 inches early summer to late excellent (C. verticillata), large-flower red blotch summer coreopsis (C. grandiflora), and lanceleaf coreopsis ★ C. ‘Tequila Sunrise’ 16 inches 10 inches golden-yellow, 2 inches early summer to late good ( ) featured burgundy blotch summer C. lanceolata prominently in the trial. 3 ★ ★ C. auriculata ‘Zamphir’ 14 inches 23 inches golden-yellow, 1 ⁄4 inches early summer to early fall good fluted rays Zone: 5b

3 Conditions: Full sun; alka- ★ ★ ★ C. grandiflora ‘Baby Sun’ 19 inches 20 inches golden-yellow, 1 ⁄4 inches early summer to late good purple blotch summer line, clay-loam, well-drained soil ★ ★ ★ C. grandiflora Sunny Day™ 15 inches 20 inches golden-yellow 2 inches early summer to late excellent (‘Balcorsunay’) summer Care: Minimal, allowing the plants to thrive or fail ★ ★ ★ C. grandiflora ‘Domino’ 21 inches 26 inches golden-yellow, 2 inches early summer to late excellent under natural conditions. red blotch summer We observed ornamental ★ ★ ★ C. grandiflora ‘Early Sunrise’ 16 inches 23 inches golden-yellow, 2 inches early summer to early fall excellent traits, monitored the growth double and adaptation ability to environmental and soil ★ ★ ★ C. grandiflora ‘Goldfink’ 7 inches 15 inches golden-yellow 1½ inches early summer to early fall good conditions, and kept a close eye on any disease or pest ★ ★ C. grandiflora ‘Mayfield Giant’ 29 inches 38 inches golden-yellow 2½ inches early summer to late excellent problems. Winter injury and summer losses were also recorded. 3 ★ ★ ★ C. grandiflora ‘Rotkelchen’ 12 inches 16 inches golden-yellow, 1 ⁄4 inches early summer to late excellent red blotch, semi- summer double

★ ★ C. grandiflora ‘Sunburst’ 31 inches 40 inches golden-yellow, 2½ inches early summer to late excellent extra rays summer ★ ★ ★ C. grandiflora ‘Sunray’ 22 inches 30 inches golden-yellow, 2½ inches early summer to early fall excellent red blotch, double ★ ★ C. grandiflora ‘Tetra-Giants’ 35 inches 50 inches golden-yellow 3 inches early summer to early fall excellent

3 ★ ★ ★ C. lanceolata ‘Little Sundial’ 8 inches 16 inches golden-yellow, 1 ⁄4 inches early summer to late good red blotch summer

3 ★ ★ ★ C. lanceolata ‘Walter’ 24 inches 32 inches golden-yellow, 1 ⁄4 inches early summer to late excellent red blotch, semi- summer double ★ ★ ★ C. major 40 inches 32 inches bright yellow 1½ inches early summer to late good summer ★ ★ ★ C. palmata 30 inches 46 inches golden-yellow 1½ inches early summer to late excellent summer ★ ★ ★ C. pubescens ‘Sunshine Superman’ 21 inches 34 inches golden-yellow 2 inches early summer to early fall excellent ★ C. rosea ‘Dreamcatcher’ 13 inches 12 inches purple, darker 1¼ inches midsummer to early fall excellent blotch

3 ★ ★ ★ C. tripteris 93 inches 63 inches lemon yellow 1 ⁄4 inches midsummer to late fall excellent ★ ★ ★ C. tripteris ‘Flower Tower’ 95 inches 50 inches yellow 2¼ inches midsummer to late fall excellent ★ ★ ★ C. tripteris ‘Gold Standard’ 68 inches 48 inches yellow 2 inches midsummer to late fall excellent ★ ★ C. verticillata ‘Golden Dream’ 10 inches 12 inches golden-yellow 1 inch midsummer to late fall good ★ ★ ★ C. verticillata ‘Golden Gain’ 24 inches 24 inches golden-yellow 2 inches early summer to early fall excellent ★ ★ ★ C. verticillata ‘Golden Shower’ 24 inches 36 inches golden-yellow 2 inches early summer to early fall excellent

3 ★ ★ ★ C. verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ 12 inches 27 inches light yellow 1 ⁄4 inches early summer to early fall excellent ★ ★ ★ C. verticillata ‘Moonray’ 15 inches 30 inches pale yellow 1½ inches midsummer to late fall excellent ★ ★ ★ C. verticillata ‘Route 66’ 24 inches 40 inches yellow and red 2 inches midsummer to late fall excellent ★ ★ ★ C. verticillata ‘Sunbeam’ 14 inches 30 inches bright yellow 1½ inches midsummer to late fall excellent ★ ★ ★ C. verticillata ‘Sweet Marmalade’ 16 inches 32 inches light orange, yellow 1½ inches midsummer to late fall excellent

3 SOURCES ★ ★ ★ C. verticillata ‘Zagreb’ 16 inches 32 inches golden-yellow 1 ⁄4 inches early summer to early fall excellent Bluestone ★ ★ C. ‘Cherry Pie’ 8 inches 12 inches red 1 inch early summer to early fall fair Perennials; Madison, OH; ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Lemon Punch’ 10 inches 12 inches yellow, orange 1 inch early summer to early fall good 800-852-5243; overtones bluestone perennials 3 ★ ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Limerock Ruby’ 22 inches 30 inches ruby red 1 ⁄4 inches midsummer to late fall excellent .com

annuals 5 Garden ★ ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Little Penny’ 7 inches 11 inches rusty orange ⁄8 inches midsummer to late fall excellent Crossings; ★ ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Mango Punch’ 10 inches 10 inches burnt orange, 1¼ inches midsummer to late fall excellent Zealand, MI; yellow undertones 616-875-6355; gardencross ★ ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Pineapple Pie’ 8 inches 14 inches deep yellow, 1¼ inches midsummer to late fall excellent ings.com red blotch Plant De- lights Nurs- ★ ★ ★ ★ C. ‘Pumpkin Pie’ 8 inches 8 inches coppery orange, 1¼ inches early summer to early fall excellent ery; Raleigh, red blotch NC; 919-772- 4794; plant ★ ★ ★ ★ 3 C. ‘Rum Punch’ 11 inches 11 inches dull red 1 ⁄4 inches midsummer to late fall excellent delights.com

Nonhardy cultivars grown as annuals for one summer