Driving along the back roads and highways of Mississippi, one can genuinely appreciate the beauty of some of our most treasured wildflowers. While some mistakenly think of wildflowers as weeds, this could not be further from the truth.
Wildflowers include a great variety of plant types, from hardy perennials to flowering annuals, small shrubs to a selection of vines, some ferns, and even some native grasses. Some wildflowers are ideal for incorporating into home gardens or landscaping projects while others are best left to grow naturally along roadsides, or in meadows, fields, and forests.
There are many enthusiasts that argue that only native plants are truly wildflowers. However, there are many flowering plants that have been “naturalized” to an area either deliberately or accidentally from other areas, states, and countries.
Regardless of how they got here and how some think they should be categorized, Mississippi’s wildflowers are an important part of our heritage, our ecology, and our state. After all, we do have a state wildflower. While Mississippi boasts of over 500 species of wildflowers, it is our state wildflower that we will focus on in this article. That wildflower is not a single species, but a genus of wildflower, the Coreopsis. Here are a few of those species of Coreopsis.
Coreopsis pubescens - Commonly known as star tickseed. An upright, yellow-flowered coreopsis, grows 2' to 4' tall, and is native to dry woods and slopes from Kansas to Virginia, south to Florida and west to Texas. Yellow, daisy-like flowers with notched yellow rays and orange center disks bloom profusely from June to September. Lance-shaped, medium green leaves form a slight, bushy foliage mound. Both stems and leaves are hairy.
Coreopsis gladiate - Also referred to as coastal tickseed. A short-lived perennial noted for its showy, daisy-like flowers with small, tubular maroon or brown disk centers, grows to 3' to 6' tall, and has numerous lance-shaped leaves on the lower parts.
Coreopsis tripteris - Commonly referred to as tall tickseed. A tall, slender wildflower that commonly grows 4' to 8' tall and typically occurs in prairies, dry open woods, and along roadsides and railroad tracks. Featuring a solitary, yellow, daisy-like flower with eight yellow rays and flat brown center disks, the flowers bloom atop slender, erect stems from mid to late summer into the fall. Leaves are divided into 3 to 5 narrow, lance-shaped segments and are anise-scented.
Coreopsis lanceolate - Commonly referred to as lanceleaf coreopsis. Typically grows to 2' tall and occurs in prairies, fields, and roadsides. Features solitary, yellow, daisy-like flowers with eight yellow rays and flat yellow center disks. Typically blooms from spring to early summer atop slender, erect stems. Narrow, hairy, lance-shaped leaves appear primarily near the base of the plant.
The next time you take a drive, take the time to notice the beauty of our state’s wildflowers.
James L. Cummins is executive director of Wildlife Mississippi, a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plant resources throughout Mississippi. Their web site is www.wildlifemiss.org.
