Flower profile

Leavenworth's tickseed

Coreopsis leavenworthii

Leavenworth's tickseed (Coreopsis leavenworthii) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly February–December across the U.S.

Native to Florida

Leavenworth's tickseed is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Florida it's most often seen in bloom in February–December.

2states where USDA records it

3,100FL sightings*

3,112U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Florida

Quick look

Coreopsis leavenworthii, the Leavenworth's tickseed, is an annual or short lived perennial plant species in the family Asteraceae. It is often grouped within Coreopsis tinctoria which it resembles.
From Wikipedia's article Coreopsis leavenworthii, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Florida. ^NatureServe
In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–December. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,100 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #101 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Florida, most flowering sightings come in February–December.

Flowering records by month in Florida (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (215 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G4 Apparently secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Florida: Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Florida. ^{FAC 5B-40.0055}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Coreopsis” (Coreopsis spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records leavenworth's tickseed in 2 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Florida.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Franklin, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Coreopsis angustata, Coreopsis lewtonii.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 51 counties across 1 states; the most are in Florida (51).

Other Coreopsis on Bloomipedia (2): Tickseeds, Plains coreopsis.

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More Florida flowers

White beggarticks

Bidens alba

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: January–March

Trailing daisy

Sphagneticola trilobata

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in FL: June–November

Bristle thistle

Cirsium horridulum

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: March–April

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile COLE3.
iNaturalist, Coreopsis leavenworthii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Coreopsis leavenworthii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Coreopsis leavenworthii (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Mark Apgar via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.