Family: Asteraceae Form: Herb Origin: Native to central and south-east United States of America Weed Type(s): Weed, Naturalised, Native Weed, Garden Escape, Environmental Weed, Cultivation Escape

Photo: G. Batianoff

Notes: Coreopsis is a large genus of about 80 species of annual or perennial herbs. Sometimes called Tickseed in reference to the appearance of the seeds which are wind-dispersed. Coreopsis lanceolata is an erect annual or short-lived perennial forming a clump of dark green, deeply-lobed leaves up to 1m tall. Flowers are yellow on long leafless stalks.

It is a weed of agricultural and wasteland in South Africa. In Western Australia it is a garden escape along the roadside between Perth and Albany and it is known in the Blue Mountains in NSW. In Queensland it was first recorded as naturalised in Kingaroy in 1944 and is currently spreading as a roadside weed from Tin Can Bay to the NSW border. It is also abundant in the Stanthorpe district and has the potential to become a major ground cover weed in forested areas in coastal and sub-coastal districts of Queensland and NSW.

Three cultivars are promoted in Flora (2003).

References:

Randall, R. P. (2002). A Global Compendium of Weeds. R. G. & F.J. Richardson, Melbourne.
Csurhes, S. and Edwards, R. (1998). Potential Environmental Weeds in Australia. National Weeds Program, Environment Australia, Canberra.
Hussey, B. M. J., Keighery, G. J., Cousens, R. D., Dodd, J., and lloyd, S. G. (1997). Western Weeds. Plant Protection Society of Western Australia, Perth.
Parker, J. and Malone, M. eds. (2003). Gardening Australia: Flora: the gardener's bible over 20,000 plants. ABC Books, Sydney.
Batianoff, G. N. (2004). Personal communication.