Coreopsis is a North American native genus of approximately 25 species in the Asteraceae. They are popular annual and perennial ornamental plants because of colorful and abundant flowers. Recent breeding activity with this genus has given rise to numerous new cultivars displaying a wide variety of flower colors.
Our efforts concentrate on developing a comprehensive collection of Coreopsis species that may provide useful traits to breeders. We are actively collecting species in the wild and then characterizing the accessions for a wide variety of traits. Of particular interest is developing an understanding of the potential for exchange of genes between species by assessing the degree to which fertile hybrids can be made between different groups. The kinds of traits we are exploring include winter hardiness, flower longevity, altered habit, disease resistance, and ease of production.
Below are some of the species in our collection: