Bloomipedia
Tickseeds (Coreopsis)
Photo: Mark Apgar via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Tickseeds

Coreopsis

★ Official state wildflower of Florida (1991)★ Official state wildflower of Mississippi (1991)Native in the lower 48

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–October.

47states
2of our state lists
32,695U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Florida, Mississippi

🏅
Florida's official state wildflower since 1991. Visit the Florida page → Fla. Stat. § 15.0345 The law names the whole genus Coreopsis, so this page covers all tickseeds.
🏅
Mississippi's official state wildflower since 1991. Visit the Mississippi page → Miss. Code § 3-3-14 The law names Coreopsis sp., so this page covers all tickseeds.

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 February–December. iNaturalist
  • In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–November. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 4,367 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #52 among the 110 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 486 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #36 among the 110 flowers on our Mississippi list. iNaturalist

Tickseeds gift ideas

Handmade tickseeds gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (5,205 records)
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
Florida–February–December4,367
Mississippi–April–November486

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?

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 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.

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Sources