Description

This unusual plant grows at the immediate coast in disjunct populations from southern San Luis Obispo County into Baja, and on the Channel Islands. The form is upright and rounded, with thick, succulent stems. There are usually few stems, often only one. It looks something like a candelabra. In the spring the deeply dissected leaves emerge from the tops of the branches, followed by the inflorescences, each tipped by a large daisy-flower. The display is exceptional and attracts a variety of pollinators. As the summer progresses the giant coreopsis goes completely dormant with no green whatsoever. Water will not prevent dormancy, and may actually kill the plant. You may want to plant giant coreopsis amidst the branches of other low shrubs, where the dramatic bloom may be appreciated and the bare branches will be hidden.