Coreopsis - Thread Leaved and Lance Leaved

This mass of small yellow flowers has been blooming in my garden all summer.  That kind of bloom time usually means we are looking at an annual.  Coreopsis tintoria or Thread leafed Coreopsis is indeed an annual.  I planted the seeds last fall in six packs along with many others.  They sprouted early in the spring, but by then I had lost track of what I had planted.  I transplanted them to the sunny border where they took off and began blooming very quickly.  The foliage is complosed of thin green threads.  Each golden flower has a dark brick red center.  Based on the number of flowers I should have enough seeds to plant the entire yard.  This little beauty also goes by Plains Coreopsis and Thread Leafed Tickseed.  The species name refers to its use as a source of yellow dye.

Lance Leaved Coreopsis, aka Sand Coreopsis is a larger plant than its thread leaved counterpart.  The flower have tattered petals and are borne singly on long stalks.  The leaves, as the name suggests, are lance shaped.  C. lanceolata is a perennial prefering well drained soil, hence its other common name.  It spreads to form colonies and also self sows.  Coreopsis is also called Tickseed because the small seeds cling to the fur of passing animals who help disperse them.