May 30: Two varieties of coreopsis

[neverspent]

For a month now we've had lance-leaved coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) blooming around the farm and in the whole northwestern half of the state, which is a hilly area. There's another kind of coreopsis, plains coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria, called "calliopsis" around here) that starts blooming a little later and is much less common around here. However, I saw loads of it in Kansas, northern Oklahoma, and even in the central part of my state.

Lance-leaved coreopsis flowers are pure school bus-yellow, but calliopsis flowers have a burgundy colored center and the dark color spreads out to the center of the petals as well. It's quite striking. I wasn't familiar with calliopsis until I started traveling regularly to and from the flatter parts of the state.


Coreopsis lanceolata & Coreopsis tinctoria

Coreopsis is also called "tickseed," which, oddly, I have more trouble remembering than the Latin name.

It's evening, and I'm sitting on the front porch enjoying the birds calling and the neighbors' girl laughing with her baby brother. It would be very peaceful if it weren't for the mosquitoes.