Overview

Bring dazzling color and resilience to your garden with the Coreopsis Ruby Frost live plant. This exquisite perennial, also known as Tickseed, is celebrated for its abundant, jewel-toned blooms that typically feature a deep red center fading to rosy pink tips, creating a captivating visual display. Ideal for borders, containers, or mass plantings, the Coreopsis Ruby Frost live plant thrives in various conditions and offers a long blooming season from early summer into fall. As a frost-tolerant perennial, it reliably returns year after year, providing consistent beauty with minimal effort. This offering is for one healthy starter plug, ready to establish quickly in your garden.

Coreopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to North and South America. The ‘Ruby Frost’ cultivar is particularly prized for its unique coloration and robust nature. This starter plant provides an excellent foundation for a thriving perennial bed, inviting pollinators like butterflies and bees to your outdoor space. Its compact size makes it versatile for a range of garden designs, adding a sophisticated touch wherever it’s planted.

Key Benefits

The Coreopsis Ruby Frost live plant offers numerous advantages for any garden, combining beauty with ease of maintenance:

• Extended Bloom Season: Enjoy continuous vibrant blooms from early summer through fall, providing consistent color when many other plants begin to fade. The abundant flowers are a true highlight of the garden.
• Frost-Tolerant Perennial: As a hardy perennial, this plant is well-equipped to handle colder temperatures and will return each year, reducing the need for annual replanting. Its resilience makes it a reliable choice for diverse climates.
• Attracts Pollinators: The cheerful flowers are a magnet for beneficial insects such as butterflies and bees, enhancing your garden’s ecosystem and promoting biodiversity. This makes it an excellent choice for a pollinator garden.
• Low Maintenance Care: This Coreopsis variety requires minimal attention once established, making it suitable for gardeners seeking beautiful results without extensive upkeep. Its adaptability to various soil types further simplifies its care.
• Versatile Garden Use: Perfect for a wide array of landscape applications, including perennial borders, rock gardens, cottage gardens, and container plantings. Its manageable size makes it adaptable to many garden styles.
• Drought Tolerant: Once established, the Ruby Frost flower plug exhibits good drought tolerance, making it an excellent choice for water-wise gardening. This reduces the need for frequent watering, especially in drier climates.
• Vibrant Color Palette: The unique ruby-red and rosy-pink coloration provides a striking contrast in any garden setting, adding a touch of elegance and visual interest.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Coreopsis Ruby Frost live plant is relatively straightforward, ensuring a bountiful display of flowers. This Coreopsis perennial care guide will help you achieve the best results. For optimal flowering, plant your Coreopsis in a location that receives full sun, meaning at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Adequate light is crucial for producing the most vibrant and profuse blooms. While tolerant of some shade, reduced sunlight will lead to fewer flowers and leggier growth.

When it comes to watering, Coreopsis prefers moderate moisture. Keep the soil slightly moist when the plant is newly established, allowing the topsoil to dry out between waterings. Avoid overwatering, as soggy conditions can lead to root rot. Once established, this plant is quite drought-tolerant. The ideal soil for frost-tolerant Coreopsis is well-drained, sandy, or loamy. It can tolerate poor soil conditions but will not thrive in heavy clay. Aim for a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Fertilize lightly in early spring with a balanced fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10) to encourage healthy growth; too much fertilizer can inhibit blooming.

Pruning is essential for continuous flowering. Regularly deadhead spent blooms to encourage the plant to produce more flowers. After the first major flush of blooms, cut back the plant by about one-third to promote reblooming. In late fall or early spring, you can trim the plant back to ground level. The Coreopsis plant for sale is hardy in USDA zones 5–9, tolerating both heat and mild frost. Protecting it with a layer of mulch in colder zones can help ensure its survival through winter. Monitor for common pests like aphids and powdery mildew, treating with organic solutions if necessary.

Size & Details

You will receive one healthy Coreopsis Ruby Frost live plant plug, typically measuring 1-3 inches tall from the top of the soil. These starter plants are well-rooted and ready for transplanting into your garden or a larger container. While the images may show mature plants for reference, your plant will be a young starter, without flowers upon arrival, allowing you the satisfaction of watching it grow and bloom. Coreopsis Ruby Frost typically forms compact mounds, reaching a mature height of about 12-18 inches and spreading 18-24 inches wide. Its moderate growth rate means you will see significant development within the first growing season.

This perennial is shipped in a well-protected plug form, ensuring it arrives in optimal condition, ready for planting. Expect blooms from early summer through fall, with proper care and deadheading. The plant’s robust nature and ability to tolerate various conditions make it a rewarding addition to almost any garden setting. Plant it in a location where it has room to spread slightly and where its vibrant colors can be fully appreciated.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this Coreopsis Ruby Frost live plant get? A: The Coreopsis Ruby Frost typically grows to a mature height of 12-18 inches and spreads about 18-24 inches wide, forming a nice mounding habit.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: This frost-tolerant Coreopsis is an outdoor perennial, best suited for garden beds, borders, and outdoor containers. It thrives in full sun conditions.
• Q: How much sunlight does the Coreopsis Ruby Frost need? A: For best flowering and healthy growth, your Coreopsis requires full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
• Q: Is this Coreopsis plant easy to care for? A: Yes, the Coreopsis perennial care is considered low maintenance. Once established, it is relatively drought-tolerant and requires minimal attention, primarily deadheading for continuous blooms.
• Q: What condition will the Ruby Frost flower plug arrive in? A: You will receive one healthy, well-rooted starter plug, typically 1-3 inches tall. It will be a young plant, ready for transplanting, and will not have flowers upon arrival.
• Q: When is the best time to plant this Coreopsis? A: The best time to plant your Coreopsis plant for sale is in spring after the last frost, or in early fall. This allows the plant to establish its root system before extreme temperatures.
• Q: Will this Coreopsis survive winter in my zone? A: The Coreopsis Ruby Frost is hardy in USDA zones 5-9. It is a frost-tolerant perennial and will typically survive winter in these zones, returning in spring.
• Q: What kind of soil does Coreopsis prefer? A: This plant prefers well-drained, sandy, or loamy soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Good drainage is crucial to prevent root rot.
• Q: How often should I water my Coreopsis? A: Water moderately, allowing the topsoil to dry out between waterings. New plants need consistent moisture, but established plants are more drought-tolerant.
• Q: Do I need to fertilize my Coreopsis Ruby Frost? A: A light feeding with a balanced fertilizer in early spring is sufficient. Avoid over-fertilizing, as it can lead to fewer blooms.