Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Coreopsis bigelovii is a species of flowering plant in the daisy or sunflower family, Asteraceae, with the common names Bigelow coreopsis and Bigelow's tickseed. It is endemic to California. The plant is known from the southern California Coast Ranges, southwestern Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, and the Mojave and Colorado deserts. It is widespread in a number of habitat types from Merced and Inyo Counties south to San Diego County. Coreopsis bigelovii is annual herb that produces one to many stems with erect, stemlike inflorescences 10 to 30 centimeters tall. The leaves are divided into narrow lobes which are sometimes subdivided, and most of the leaves are located at the base of the plant. The many inflorescences bear solitary flower heads, each with a bulbous involucre of rough phyllaries. The flower head has a center of many yellow disc florets and a fringe of 5 to 10 ray florets up to 2. 5 centimeters (1 inch) long. The fruit is a small achene. The fruit of the ray floret is rough and bumpy and lacks a pappus; that of the disc floret is more slender, shiny, edged with hairs, and tipped with a pappus of scales. Uses. This plant was eaten as a raw or cooked green vegetable by the native Kawaiisu and Tübatulabal peoples of California.

Plant type

Annual herb, Succulent

Size

4 - 12 in Tall

Calscape icon
Color

Yellow

Flowering season

Winter, Spring

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Extremely Low, Very Low

Propagation

For propagating by seed: Freshly harvested seeds need dry storage at 68°F for 5-8 wks. before sowing (Capon and Van Asdall 1967).

Sunset Zones

7, 8*, 9*, 10, 11, 12*, 13*, 14, 15, 16, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Site type

Dry areas

Plant communities

Creosote Bush Scrub, Foothill Woodland, Joshua Tree Woodland, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland

Bees
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

1 confirmed and 5 likely

Confirmed Likely

Phaeton Primrose Sphinx Moth

Euproserpinus phaeton

Orange Tortrix Moth

Argyrotaenia franciscana

Sunflower Bud Moth

Suleima helianthana

Wavy-Lined Emerald

Synchlora aerata