The Cheery Long-Blooming Flower That'll Encourage More Birds To Visit Your Yard

While having cheery, long-blooming flowers in the garden can really brighten up your day, it's even more special if these blooms also encourage birds to visit your yard. If this is something you aspire to, there's a pretty perennial flower that's native to southeastern and central America that you'll want to consider adding to your collection of bright and colorful blooms this season. The star tickseed (Coreopsis pubescens) has the loveliest sunshine-yellow flowers that look a little like daisies. These blooms can reach a diameter of 2 inches on stems that can grow to lofty heights of up to 4 feet. You'll also find that this wildflower is an easy-to-propagate perennial for beginner gardeners.

When in bloom, the cheerful flowers attract pollinators, like bees and butterflies. In fact, many native bee species will happily seek out your garden if you have some clumps of star tickseed growing. It's also a host plant for around six different species of moths and butterflies, including the sunflower bud moth. You'll find that even hummingbirds will stop by the flowers to get some of that sweet nectar. But, if you let a few of the blooms go to seed instead of deadheading them, you'll be rewarded with a visit from a whole range of seed-eating birds, like northern cardinals, buntings, American goldfinches, blue grosbeaks, and house finches. This is precisely why star tickseed is one of those perennial plants to add to your yard to attract birds year-round.

Star tickseed makes a great addition to free-flowing flower and meadow gardens. It does have a bit of a sprawling habit, so it's not ideal for more formal settings. However, you can cut back the foliage in summer if it starts to look too untidy. This plant does well in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9 and will enjoy a sunny spot in your garden. Best of all, it will thrive in poor soils and is particularly drought- and heat-tolerant. Flowers will appear from early summer through to the fall, and blooming can be prolonged if you deadhead the plants during this period.

Just remember to leave the flowers toward the end of the season so that they can produce plenty of seeds for your feathered friends. Star tickseed is one of those flowers perfect for a cut flower garden, so why not selectively cut some of the blooms to bring indoors and leave the rest to seed? You'll get the extra benefit of some of the seeds ending up in the soil, resulting in additional plants to fill in any space. And, if you're looking for even more vibrancy, keep an eye out for a hybrid called Coreopsis Big Bang 'Star Cluster.' This beauty has the most stunning flowers with creamy white petals and a bright yellow center surrounded by splashes of deep red.