Welcome Coreopsis!

Honeybees and small native bees visit variegated coreopsis in my bee buddy David's garden.

Cool Coreopsis

Delighted to see honeybees attracted to this pretty perennial, a variegated coreopsis. This hardy perennial is pretty in its original all yellow form but I also like the tinged with burn red variety. Both have easy to access pollen for bees and both grow well all summer, including Missouri's infamous August derth.

Good Plant for Hot August

August is traditionally so hot in Missouri plants shut down producing nectar and pollen when temperatures are over 95F for more than a week or so. Gardeners know not to plant much in August because the soil is so dry anything that gets water dries out quickly.

My established coreopsis make it through this hot period, even when I sometimes forget to water them.

Several Coreopsis Choices

There are now a number of coreopsis varieties, from dwarf mounding plants perfect to line borders to plants that grow 4-feet tall, perfect for the back of the flower borders. Remember to plant several plants together so bees can easily see them.

Charlotte