Flower profile
Plains coreopsis
Coreopsis tinctoria
Plains coreopsis is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–October.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
Quick look
Coreopsis tinctoria, commonly known as plains coreopsis, garden tickseed, golden tickseed, or calliopsis, is an annual forb in the Asteraceae family. The species is common in Canada, northeast Mexico, and most of the United States, especially the Great Plains and Southern States. It has been introduced and naturalized into many parts of Europe and Asia.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 46 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. NatureServe
- In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. iNaturalist
- In Oklahoma, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–October. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 7,513 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #84 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 954 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #23 among the 110 flowers on our Oklahoma list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 809 research-grade sightings of it in Arkansas, ranking #51 among the 109 flowers on our Arkansas list. iNaturalist
Plains coreopsis gift ideas
Handmade plains coreopsis gifts from independent makers.
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Plains coreopsis art print
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Plains coreopsis greeting card
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Plains coreopsis mug
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Plains coreopsis earrings
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Plains coreopsis embroidery pattern
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Plains coreopsis sticker
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Texas
- Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
- Oklahoma
- No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
- Arkansas
- No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
- Louisiana
- No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: WY (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
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 plains coreopsis in 46 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.
Texas counties with USDA records: Anderson, Angelina, Aransas, Archer, Armstrong, Atascosa, Austin, Bailey, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Brewster, Briscoe, Brooks, Brown, Burnet, Calhoun, Callahan, Cameron, Cass, Chambers, Cherokee, Childress, Coleman, Colorado, Comal, Comanche, Cooke, Crosby, Dallam, Dallas, DeWitt, Deaf Smith, Denton, Dickens, Dimmit, Duval, Edwards, El Paso, Ellis, Fannin, Floyd, Fort Bend, Franklin, Frio, Galveston, Garza, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Grayson, Guadalupe, Hale, Hansford, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Hartley, Hays, Hidalgo, Hockley, Hood, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt, Jackson, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kenedy, Kerr, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox, La Salle, Lamar, Lampasas, Leon, Liberty, Lipscomb, Llano, Lubbock, Marion, Martin, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Mitchell, Montague, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Nolan, Nueces, Oldham, Orange, Palo Pinto, Panola, Parker, Parmer, Potter, Presidio, Randall, Reagan, Real, Robertson, Rusk, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, Shelby, Smith, Starr, Sutton, Swisher, Tarrant, Taylor, Titus, Tom Green, Travis, Tyler, Uvalde, Val Verde, Van Zandt, Victoria, Webb, Wichita, Willacy, Williamson, Yoakum, Zapata.
Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Alfalfa, Atoka, Beckham, Bryan, Caddo, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Cleveland, Coal, Comanche, Delaware, Ellis, Garfield, Grant, Haskell, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnston, Kay, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Latimer, Le Flore, Lincoln, Marshall, Mayes, McCurtain, Murray, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Payne, Pittsburg, Pottawatomie, Pushmataha, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tillman, Tulsa, Washington, Woods.
Arkansas counties with USDA records: Arkansas, Ashley, Baxter, Benton, Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Clay, Cleburne, Cleveland, Columbia, Conway, Craighead, Crawford, Crittenden, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Faulkner, Franklin, Garland, Greene, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Logan, Lonoke, Mississippi, Monroe, Montgomery, Nevada, Newton, Ouachita, Perry, Phillips, Pike, Poinsett, Polk, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Sevier, St. Francis, Union, Van Buren, Washington, White, Woodruff, Yell.
More Texas flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile COTI3.
- iNaturalist, Coreopsis tinctoria: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Plains coreopsis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
- Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Coreopsis tinctoria (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
- Photo: Bailey Duncan via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.