The Dwarf Coreopsis, otherwise known as the Coreopsis Auriculata ‘Nana’ or Dwarf Tickseed ‘Nana’, Ear-Leaved Tickseed ‘Nana’, Lobed Tickseed ‘Nana’, Mouse Ear Coreopsis ‘Nana’, is a rather well known perennial plant by gardening enthusiasts around the world.
Best known for its low maintenance and moderate growth, this perennial will likely liven up your house (or garden) with its green colored leaves. But, only if you learn how to take proper care of it for it to thrive.
This is why all the topics you need to know in order to achieve this will be covered in this Dwarf Coreopsis Care Guide. Ready? Let’s go!
But if you prefer to watch a short video instead, check it out here:
The fundamental caring guidelines for every Dwarf Coreopsis can be summed up into the following:
- Water: The Dwarf Coreopsis prefers constant watering each week and more during the hot season.
- Light: Keep your Coreopsis Auriculata ‘Nana’ in an environment where it can receive partial to full sun on a daily basis.
- Soil: Make sure to keep the Dwarf Coreopsis in soil with moist but well-draining to well draining properties, so ideally, one that is made of sand and loam.
That’s it – sunlight, water and soil! The basic 3 fundamentals for all plant care, and with the Dwarf Coreopsis this is no exception. With these three elements, your leafy friend will live healthy and happy.
Scientific / Botanical Aspects
In botanical terms, the Dwarf Coreopsis belongs to the Asteraceae family, the genus Coreopsis and the species Pubescens, hence its scientific (or botanical) name Coreopsis Auriculata ‘Nana’ (kor-ee-OP-sis ah-rih-kew-LAY-tuh).
As with other Coreopsis’s, the Dwarf Coreopsis is a herbaceous plant, which means it will die back to the ground every year.
Growing Region
You might be wondering why your Dwarf Coreopsis’s native region is important. Well, if you know where your plant originally came from, you’ll know which environment conditions it prefers, and with it, knowledge on how to replicate it at home.
With this in mind, the Coreopsis Auriculata ‘Nana’ will be most used to the heat zones in the 1 – 9 region, as the plant hardiness level falls between 4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a, 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a and the ideal climate zone is between 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.
Growth and Size
Growth
In terms of size and growth, the Dwarf Coreopsis is a relatively moderate grower, which makes things somewhat easy for any plant enthusiast.
Size
But what exactly does this mean for your Dwarf Coreopsis? How large a pot should you consider, how tall, how wide can it get? Let’s jump in…
The Coreopsis Auriculata ‘Nana’ can grow up to 6″ – 9″ (15cm – 22cm) in 6″ – 9″ (15cm – 22cm) and 6″ – 9″ (15cm – 22cm) in 6″ – 9″ (15cm – 22cm).
These dimensions make the Dwarf Coreopsis a relatively small perennial compared to others, so it’s best to keep this fact in mind since it will affect where you want to keep yours at home.
This is why experts recommend keeping an area of approximately 9″ (22cm) free so the Dwarf Coreopsis can spread to its best extent.
Water
In terms of watering, the Dwarf Coreopsis is a fairly simple plant to take care of.
This is mostly because it has a straightforward watering schedule and somewhat regular watering needs.
Specifically, most experts agree that the Coreopsis Auriculata ‘Nana’ prefers constant watering each week and more during the hot season.
Which is why it is considered a plant with relatively low needs in terms of water.
Watering
As a rule of thumb, you should remember to keep your Dwarf Coreopsis in soil with moist but well-draining to well draining characteristics, as these will guarantee the right conditions for your plant to grow and thrive.
When you consider this, this is why you should aim to choose soil that has good drainage, and moist properties to keep the right moisture levels at all times.
But, if you want a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to watering your Dwarf Coreopsis then you should consider the famous ‘finger’ test. To perform this test, you just need to put your finger in your plant’s soil and determine if it’s moist or not. If it is, then don’t water; if it isn’t, then please do. In any case, this test will allow you to know if your Dwarf Coreopsis needs or does not need water, every time.
Soil Mix
As mentioned earlier, the Dwarf Coreopsis prefers to have soil with good drainage, and moist properties at all times, reason why you need to make the soil mix out of sand and loam.
This is why most experts agree that the Dwarf Coreopsis requires soil with loam (silt), and sand, which will give you the right conditions it needs.
In addition to this, expert gardeners recommend having preferably alkaline, acid or neutral soil.
Light and Exposure
In terms of light & exposure, the Dwarf Coreopsis requires partial to full sun in order for it to thrive under the right conditions.
Most experts agree that this perennial will do well as long as you keep it in full sun, and it will be able to grow properly.
Specifically, we recommend that you place your Coreopsis Auriculata ‘Nana’ in little to partial shade (only 2-6 hours of direct sunlight a day), to full and direct sun (more 6 hours of direct sunlight per day).
Season
Being a herbaceous plant, the Dwarf Coreopsis will die back to the ground every year.
But, you can expect it to have its ‘prime-time’ during the spring (mid, late), the summer (early, mid, late), and during the fall.
Flowers
You can expect your Dwarf Coreopsis to flower around the spring months from April to June (spring).
In particular, this perennial is well known for its flowers for cutting and showy flowers around the plant enthusiast community.
The Dwarf Coreopsis produces some beautiful yellow, or gold/yellow flowers around this time of year.
Foliage
The leaves from the Dwarf Coreopsis have a beautiful green color during most of the year.
Attracts, Tolerance and Resistance
The Dwarf Coreopsis is well known for being able to attract butterflies, so keep that in mind when choosing your plant, as you’ll likely end up finding one or another in your garden.
Additionally, it has a special tolerance for rocky soil, dry soil and animals like deer, so don’t worry if any of these come along, your Coreopsis Auriculata ‘Nana’ will be fine.
Garden
How should you then organize your garden to include your new Dwarf Coreopsis? Here are some recommendations by expert gardeners.
Most Coreopsis Auriculata ‘Nana’ owners agree that this perennial will look great in most cottage and rustic gardens of all types.
Other owners consider that they complement well most gardens of informal and cottage, and in prairie and meadow styles.
In particular, the Dwarf Coreopsis’s best location within your garden is in beds and borders, and in edging, others use it for landscaping in a firescaping/fire wise, rock garden, border, edging, mass planting, ground cover, cutting garden, container, or a woodland garden.
Companion Plants
Dwarf Coreopsis’s do well with some other plants beside it. One good companion plant is the Panicum, which will pair up nicely with your leafy friend.
Others consider that a nice Salvia will work well too, so choose whichever you find works best for you!
Conclusion
Even though we covered a lot of care information for your Dwarf Coreopsis, remember the basics: sunlight, soil and water, as these should be enough to grow a healthy plant at home.
