Coreopsis tinctoria: beautiful eyes

A herbaceous and perennial plant, Coreopsis Tinctoria appears to be of American origin (Canada, the United States and Mexico) and, recently, it has also found widespread use in China. It is characterized by the presence of thin stems and dark green leaves. From the yellow flowers that resemble daisies with broken petals, a mahogany red pigment used for dyeing wool was extracted. To date, it is interesting to note that the plant is now used for ornamental purposes especially in those areas where it is not too cold in winter.

 Cultivation

Coreopsis Tinctoria loves exposure to sunlight and is characterized by a very long flowering. It needs little moisture and needs to be watered frequently. When it starts to dry out in the autumn, it should be cut to allow it to rest in the winter months. It is a plant with yellow flowers with a brown center, which loves to be sown in large groups.

Diseases and care

Careopsis Tinctoria is a very resistant plant that is hardly attacked by diseases and pests. Therefore, this peculiarity allows to avoid periodic interventions through the use of insecticides. It can be seen, therefore, how it represents a rustic plant able to cope with adversity as well as the attack by external agents such as fumes and smog. Only sometimes could it happen that he may suffer from white disease or powdery mildew, or an insidious fungus. For the purpose of preventing, therefore, fungal diseases, it is good to irrigate it moderately avoiding stagnation.

Curiosity

Plant with rich and prolonged flowering, Careopsis Tinctoria is a variant of Careopsis that has always been used, especially in the Central American area, as a red pigment. Moreover, it is a plant to which the Zuni, or a native population living in the state of New Mexico, recur for the production of a drink very similar to tea.