perennial

Mercury Rising Tickseed

Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising'

 

 
Mercury Rising Tickseed (Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising') at Green Glen Nursery

Mercury Rising Tickseed flowers

Mercury Rising Tickseed flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  18 inches

Spread:  30 inches

Sunlight:  full sun 

Hardiness Zone:  4b

Description:

An impressive hybrid with stunning, daisy-like burgundy-violet flowers with scarlet petal edges, around a central yellow-gold disk; a vigorous grower, that is tolerant of pests and drought, thriving in sandy and rocky soils; coreopsis needs good drainage

Ornamental Features

Mercury Rising Tickseed is smothered in stunning burgundy daisy flowers with violet overtones, yellow eyes and scarlet edges at the ends of the stems from early summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its ferny leaves remain emerald green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Mercury Rising Tickseed is an open herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Mercury Rising Tickseed is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Mass Planting
  • Border Edging
  • General Garden Use
  • Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Mercury Rising Tickseed will grow to be about 16 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Mercury Rising Tickseed is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Massing  Edging  Garden  Container 
Applications
Flowers  Texture  Attracts Wildlife 
Ornamental Features