Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Lobed Tickseed bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Lobed Tickseed, Eared Coreopsis, Mouse-ear Tickseed (Coreopsis auriculata).

More about lobed tickseed

About Lobed Tickseed

Coreopsis auriculata · also called Lobed Tickseed, Eared Coreopsis · flowering

Lobed Tickseed is a low-growing, semi-evergreen perennial native to open woodlands of the southeastern US, prized for its early-season bright orange-yellow flowers appearing from spring to early summer. It forms spreading mats via stolons and tolerates partial shade better than most coreopsis, making it an excellent ground cover for lightly shaded, dry borders and woodland edges.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Declining vigour in dense shade: Though more shade-tolerant than most coreopsis, deep shade (fewer than 2 hours of direct light) results in sparse flowering and thin growth. Move to a brighter woodland edge or prune overhead canopy.

The reasons lobed tickseed isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming lobed tickseed traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding lobed tickseed a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get lobed tickseed to flower

Maximise sun. Give lobed tickseed the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for lobed tickseed and get the feeding right with the lobed tickseed fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Lobed Tickseed flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full lobed tickseed care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Lobed Tickseed blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my lobed tickseed flower?

Lobed Tickseed blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make lobed tickseed bloom?

Give lobed tickseed the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does lobed tickseed normally bloom?