Coreopsis Grandiflora SunKiss

Coreopsis Grandiflora SunKiss Seeds

(Coreopsis grandiflora — Tickseed — PanAmerican Seed)

Coreopsis Grandiflora SunKiss is a flowering plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae, native primarily to North America. It goes by the charming common name tickseed — a nod to the shape of its seeds, which some say resemble ticks. There are over 75 species, ranging from annuals to perennials, and they come in shades of yellow, orange, pink, red, white, and bicolor blends. The name coreopsis stems from the Greek koris, for bedbug, and opis, meaning resembling — because the seeds look like bedbugs. The common name tickseed comes from the seeds’ resemblance to ticks. Coreopsis is the state wildflower of Florida.

Coreopsis is an ancient plant, with fossil evidence placing these golden flowers alongside some of the earliest known flowering plants. Native to the Americas, particularly flourishing across North and South America, tickseed adorned landscapes with its characteristic yellow and orange hues even before humans walked these lands. Archaeological evidence suggests that indigenous peoples of the Americas recognized the value of various Coreopsis species, incorporating them into traditional medicine and understanding their ecological importance.

As many as 80 Coreopsis species can be found naturalized in the Americas with 38 listed in the lower 48 US states. Coreopsis flowers are made up of two primary elements: the showy ray of colorful petals that surround a typically bronze or brown center of disc flowers. The variety ‘Early Sunrise’ (C. grandiflora) was designated an AAS Winner in 1989 and remains among the best-selling Coreopsis for garden use.

SunKiss is a PanAmerican Seed variety that advances the grandiflora species in two specific directions simultaneously. SunKiss is the brightest yellow flower with a large blotch available as a seed strain — with a larger, deeper red blotch and larger flowers than the predecessor variety Sunfire. Noted for its huge flowers, SunKiss is a compact perennial producing an abundance of brilliant golden-yellow daisies of 7 cm across, adorned with burgundy red centers. Blooming for months, the charming blossoms sit atop slender, erect stems and float above the foliage of leathery green leaves — excellent for border fronts, wildflower, and cottage gardens.

SunKiss tolerates poor and rocky soils, heat, humidity, and some drought — a combination of tolerances that makes it particularly well-suited to Kuwait’s sandy, well-drained, often alkaline soils and the variable temperature conditions of the cool-to-transitional season. Large-Flower Tickseed is clump-forming and grows 1–3 feet tall and wide. Its preference is for sandy or rocky soils. Large-Flower Tickseed may not always be reliably perennial but will reseed itself in the garden.

Variety Details

• Botanical Name: Coreopsis grandiflora
• Variety: ‘SunKiss‘
• Breeder: PanAmerican Seed (USA)
• Common Names: Tickseed, Large-Flowered Tickseed, Bigflower Coreopsis
• Origin of species: Native to North America — state wildflower of Florida
• Series distinction: Brightest yellow + largest burgundy blotch available as a seed strain
• Seed Type: Open pollinated / primed seed
• Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial (grown as a cool-season annual in Kuwait — blooms first year from seed)
• Family: Asteraceae
• Light requirement: Needs light to germinate — surface sow

Key Features

• PanAmerican Seed color breakthrough — brightest yellow with largest burgundy blotch available as a seed strain
• Larger and deeper red blotch than predecessor variety Sunfire
• Huge 7 cm golden-yellow daisy flowers with dramatic deep burgundy-red centers
• Compact controlled habit of 30–35 cm — fewer or no growth regulators needed
• Blooms first year from seed — behaves as a cool-season annual in Kuwait
• Outstanding heat, drought, and poor-soil tolerance — thrives in sandy and rocky conditions
• Excellent cut flower — long-lasting bouquets from a single plant
• Self-seeding — naturalizes reliably once established, providing successive seasons
• Outstanding pollinator value — attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds
• Deer and rabbit resistant
• Seeds require light to germinate — surface sow, do not cover

Plant Information

• Height: 30–35 cm (up to 45 cm in ideal conditions)
• Spread: 35–40 cm
• Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial — blooms first year from seed
• Habit: Compact, mounding, well-branched
• Flower Size: Up to 7 cm across
• Flower Form: Single daisy — ray petals surrounding a raised central disc
• Flower Color: Brilliant golden-yellow ray petals with deep burgundy-red central blotch
• Foliage: Narrow, emerald, green, leathery — remains attractive throughout season

Germination Instructions

• Coreopsis grandiflora SunKiss seeds need light to germinate — do not cover with soil or any planting medium.
• Surface sow on the top of moist, well-drained seed compost and press gently in without covering.
• Maintain 22–24°C for germination.
• Germination occurs within 10–15 days under optimal conditions.
• For spring planting, mix the seed with moist sand and store in the refrigerator for 30 days before direct sowing — this cold stratification improves germination uniformity.
• Keep the growing medium consistently moist throughout germination — do not allow to dry out. Once seedlings have developed two to three true leaves, transplant into individual 7 cm pots and grow on in good light before moving to the final outdoor position.
• Final spacing: 25–30 cm between plants.
• Blooms first year from seed in approximately 10–14 weeks from germination under good light conditions.
  For Kuwait: direct sow outdoors in October–November onto prepared, well-drained bed surfaces and press lightly in — the warm soil temperature of October ensures fast, reliable germination without cold stratification or indoor setup.
• Alternatively, sow indoors in September without covering seeds for October transplanting.

Growing Tips

• Grow in full sun in dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils.
• Tolerates poor and rocky soils, heat, humidity, and some drought.
• Do not over-fertilize — avoid high nitrogen levels as plants will become floppy with weak stems and more prone to disease.
• Apply a constant feed of 50–100 ppm nitrogen from a balanced fertilizer.
• Water consistently during establishment then reduce — SunKiss is drought-tolerant once well rooted and will perform through brief dry periods without significant setback.
• Deadhead spent flowers regularly to prolong the blooming season — this species requires deadheading to promote continuous blooming. Pinch plants 1–2 times when young to promote lateral branching and maximum flower production.
• Leave a few seed heads at the end of the season to allow self-seeding for subsequent seasons — in Kuwait’s sandy soils, the self-seeding habit may produce volunteer plants in spring that extend the display without additional sowing.

Gulf Planting Season

• Direct sowing outdoors: October to November
• Indoor sowing for earlier display: September, transplant October
• Peak flowering season: November to March
• Extended season: continues into April–May — heat tolerance extends performance beyond most cool-season annuals
• Note: Coreopsis SunKiss is one of the most naturally suited cool-season ornamentals for Kuwait’s garden conditions.
• Its native North American habitat — open prairies, disturbed sandy and rocky soils, high summer heat, and variable rainfall — closely mirrors Kuwait’s garden environment.
• The sandy, well-drained, alkaline soils of Kuwait’s raised beds and garden borders replicate the natural habitat preferences of the species almost exactly.
• SunKiss will bloom continuously from approximately November through March with regular deadheading, then extend its display into April and May as temperatures rise — performing through heat conditions that would defeat most other cool-season flowering ornamentals.
• Once established, self-seeded volunteer plants may appear in subsequent cool seasons, gradually building a self-renewing population without additional sowing.

Garden & Floral Uses

• SunKiss is easy to grow, making it a good choice for beginners.
• One plant will provide you with long-lasting cut flower bouquets all summer long.
• The flowers are excellent for cutting.
• SunKiss is smothered in stunning yellow daisy flowers with gold eyes and a burgundy blotch, with narrow leaves that remain emerald, green throughout the season.
• The compact 30–35 cm habit makes it ideal for the front and middle edge of raised beds and borders, for rock garden planting between stones, and for naturalized wildflower-style drifts in larger garden areas.
• The combination of brilliant yellow and deep burgundy red is one of the most eye-catching color combinations in cool-season gardening — warm, bold, and clear-reading from a distance — and it pairs with particular effectiveness alongside blue and purple companions such as salvia, lavender, and purple petunia.
• As a cut flower, SunKiss delivers excellent vase life — the stiff, wiry stems carry the large blooms well and the flowers open progressively over several days in the vase.
• Cut when fully open and place immediately into clean water for best longevity.
• Use in the border or rock gardens and in swaths to provide a long season of color.