Flower profile
Tickseeds
Coreopsis
Tickseeds (Coreopsis) is a shrub in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–July across the U.S.
Tickseeds is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Florida, Mississippi
Quick look
Coreopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Common names include calliopsis and tickseed, a name shared with various other plants.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a shrub with a annual, biennial, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 47 states. USDA PLANTS
- In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
- In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–October. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 4,367 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #55 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 486 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #40 among the 154 flowers on our Mississippi list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | – | March–May | 4,367 |
| Mississippi | – | April–October | 486 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe
- Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe
- Florida
- n/a Florida's list is by species, so a whole genus isn't assessed. FAC 5B-40.0055
- Mississippi
- No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead.
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 page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
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 tickseeds in 47 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 Hampshire, 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.
Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.
Mississippi counties with USDA records: Benton, Bolivar, Chickasaw, Clarke, Clay, Coahoma, Covington, DeSoto, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Itawamba, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Kemper, Lafayette, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lee, Lowndes, Marshall, Monroe, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pearl River, Perry, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Smith, Stone, Tallahatchie, Tishomingo, Tunica, Union, Washington, Wayne.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Introduced; Canada: Native; Hawaii: Introduced; Hawaii: Waif (occasional, not established); Lower 48 states: Native; Pacific Basin (excluding Hawaii): Introduced.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 1925 counties across 48 states; the most are in Texas (185), Georgia (117), Missouri (107).
Other Coreopsis on Bloomipedia (2): Plains coreopsis, Leavenworth's tickseed.
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
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile COREO2.
- iNaturalist, Coreopsis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Coreopsis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Fla. Stat. § 15.0345: Florida state wildflower.
- Miss. Code § 3-3-14: Mississippi state wildflower.
- Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
- Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
- Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Mark Apgar via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.