How to Care for Plains Coreopsis

Choose a well-draining area for planting plains coreopsis. This wildflower is somewhat tolerant of drought and it thrives in soil that is dry or of medium moisture. Poor quality and sandy soils are suitable for this wildflower, which is native to much of Eastern and Central North America.

Place your plains coreopsis in full-sun settings. If necessary, plains coreopsis grows in partial shade.

Sow the plains coreopsis seeds indoors, starting them in containers approximately six to eight weeks before last expected frost date before transplanting them outside. If you want to start the plants outdoors, plant them in spring after the last frost date. Refrain from covering the seeds, as those of the plains coreopsis greatly benefit from exposure to sunlight. It aids in quick germination. Planting seeds every few weeks ensures flowering plants grow throughout the growing season.

Removing the spent flowerheads encourages the plains coreopsis continual blooming. Cutting the plant back by about a third after it finishes blooming promotes new growth and more flowers, notes Cornell University.

Disposing spent flowerheads prevents the plant from self-seeding, notes the Missouri Botanical Garden. If you allow the flowers to disperse their seeds, the plants can overwhelm a landscape. If you desire the seeds to disperse and cover an area, leave the flowerheads alone.