It has been a while since I wrote about particular plant species, but this week has brought the first peak bloom of Coreopsis verticillata, specifically the cultivar "Zagreb," in the front yard. (Why a North American native composite bears the name of an Eastern European city is a mystery for another day.) As far as I can tell, "Zagreb" differs from the straight species primarily in being more compact. The bees certainly have no problem using it.
Zagreb has been on my list of Nearly Perfect Plants for some years now, for a number of reasons. First, it is nearly indestructible, unless one does foolish things like feed and water it, though watering it in extended periods of 90-degree drought is acceptable. This little yellow daisy thrives on benign neglect.
Second, it plays well with others. It grows happily in our streetside "hellstrip" with feather grass and assorted native perennials (plus a ditch lily that keeps coming back no matter how many times it gets removed).
I am particularly fond of late afternoon sun hitting this green-and-gold combination.
Zagreb is a pollinator magnet, and one that starts blooming in early summer before the heavy hitters like goldenrod and Joe Pye weed even have buds. It blooms for several weeks, making butterflies and bees and those of us who like them very happy.
It is also reasonably well-behaved. (Note that I did say "reasonably.") A clump will indeed grow larger every year, but this shallow-rooted plant is easy to divide, meaning that one good start of it will allow for easy propagation. Gardeners on a budget particularly appreciate this trait, which enables the plopping of clumps of golden daisies in multiple places.
Cheerful, useful, friendly--what's not to like?
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