Coreopsis verticilla Sassy Saffron

The Coreopsis verticillata 'Sassy Saffron', also known as Whorled Tickseed, from the 'Sizzle & Spice' collection, blooms abundantly throughout the summer on very fine, needle-like, green-grey foliage forming a well-rounded and neat shrub. Its large, star-shaped, bicoloured flowers are a bright lemon yellow, contrasted with a dark mahogany colour, infused near the central disk. Its undemanding nature and love for the sun make it suitable for well-exposed slopes and challenging conditions. It is also a disease-resistant variety, remarkable in potted plants and bouquets.

The Coreopsis verticillata belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is native to the plains of Central America, Mexico, and the southeastern United States. 'Sassy Saffron' is a cultivar selected by Walters Gardens in the United States. This deciduous, rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, with a woody base, has a spreading habit, highly branched, compact, and particularly rounded. It reaches a height of 40 cm (16in) with a spread of 60 cm (24in) at maturity. The flowering period extends from July to September. The pale yellow, 4 cm (2in) in diameter, flowers open from rounded buds and are arranged in whorls of 3 along the slender stems. The 8 outer ligules, wide and broad, form a lemon-yellow and mahogany-brown edge surrounding a red-brown centre. The foliage, dark green and deciduous, consists of leaves 6 cm (2in) long, finely divided into linear leaflets. The plant slowly spreads through a tangle of slender, non-trailing rhizomes.

The Coreopsis verticillata 'Sassy Saffron' is a perennial with multiple uses. It thrives in a rock garden with carnations, yarrow, sneezeweed, or in a herbaceous border alongside Teucrium chamaedrys or x lucidrys, thyme, and cotton-lavender. In a pot or container, this plant blooms continuously from the first year. For a beautiful summer display, it can be paired with calamint and catmint whether in the ground or in a large pot, requiring very little water.. It is also a lovely flower for summer bouquets, bringing a little taste of sunshine indoors.