Coreopsis Big Bang™ 'Star Cluster'

If you have tried other colorful Coreopsis billed as "perennial" and found them short-lived, it's time to step up to the Big Bang™ series. The brainchild of breeder Darrell Probst, these 100% perennial cultivars are the result of thousands of crosses among at least 8 species of Coreopsis. The result? Gorgeous colors, great vigor, nonstop blooms for months with no deadheading, and compact habit!

'Star Cluster' flowers for at least 5 months in most climates, setting masses and masses of 1½- to 2½-inch daisies. The petals are white around a bright yellow center, and in cooler weather, vivid grape-purple streaks appear at the base and around the edges of every petal. Wow!

These blooms begin in early summer and continue well into fall. Great for cutting, they need no deadheading and are unbelievably profuse. And because they're sterile, you'll get no unwanted volunteers in next spring's garden!

'Star Cluster' is a cultivar of native species, so it has excellent natural resistance to pests and diseases. Deer tend to leave it alone, and it is mildew-free. The plant is mounded but compact, just 18 to 24 inches high and wide. It makes a great groundcover in sunny spots, asking only for good soil drainage. Like all Coreopsis, 'Star Cluster' puts up well with heat, humidity, drought, infertile soil, cold, and other stresses!

If you like 'Star Cluster,' try all the Big Bangs™--'Redshift,' 'Galaxy,' 'Cosmic Evolution,' and 'Cosmic Eye.' Hardy through zone 5 in the north, eager to bloom, and unstoppably floriferous, they are easy enough for beginning gardeners, yet so beautiful they deserve your finest garden spot! Zones 5-9.

• Butterflies like a lot of sunlight, so locate your garden in a sunny area.
• If you live in a windy location, plant your butterfly-attracting plants near a building, fence, or hedge to protect them.
• Plant a variety of nectar-rich plants, as well as shrubs and evergreens for shelter.
• Since many butterflies and native flowering plants have co-evolved, try to put in some that are native to your area. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center provides lists of plants native to states and regions.
• Certain colors are particularly attracting to butterflies – red, yellow, pink, purple, or orange blooms that are clustered or flat-topped, with a short flower tubes are especially attractive to adult butterflies.
• Avoid using pesticides, especially around nectar-producing plants.
• Provide a shallow source of water – try a birdbath with pebbles lining the bowl.
• Place a rock in a sunny spot for butterfly basking and resting.
• Create a "puddling area" by digging a shallow hole filled with compost or manure where rainwater will collect and release essential salts and minerals.
• If you want butterflies to breed in your garden, put in some caterpillar food plants, such as parsley, milkweeds, asters, thistles, violets, clover, grasses, and Queen Anne’s Lace.
• Since butterflies need nectar throughout the entire adult phase of their lives, try to create a design that will allow for a continuous bloom – when one stops blooming, another starts.

As the deer population has boomed and food has become scarcer, they have become more aggressive. In some areas deer will strip your garden bare, leaving nothing green or flowery behind. While there is no such thing as a completely deer-proof garden, there are some effective things you can do to protect your garden from these hungry animals.

Use physical barriers

A High Fence
Deer can jump pretty high, but a fence higher than eight feet (higher on an up-slope) and flush with the ground will keep any deer out.

Electric Fences
They are a much easier and less expensive solution. Deer generally will not try to jump electric fences, but will rather try to climb through the wires, receiving a deterring shock.

Bird-Netting
An even less extreme physical option is to put bird netting over your larger and more susceptible plants.

Plant Deer-resistant Varieties

Herbs, some conifers, and many flowers are some of the best deer-resistant plants. More fragrant plants will often deter predation. Planting just a few deer-resistant plants will limit grazing of your other plants. Remember, "deer-resistant" does not mean deer-proof. A hungry animal will eat just about anything.

Having a dog In the Family

Owning a dog, especially a big dog will almost always keep deer from approaching your home. Just the scent of the dog will keep most deer away, and if your dog lives outside you will probably never see any deer.

For most gardeners, it is a combination of different solutions that works best. Every gardener has to find the solution that works best in their garden.

Shop All Deer-resistant Plants

Coreopsis

Planting:

Set plants 10 to 12 inches apart, or more for larger cultivars. Choose a location in full sun or very light shade; any reasonable soil, so long as it is well-drained, will do.

Maintenance:

Periodically removing spent flowers will lengthen the blooming season. We recommend a mulch of humus or compost. Dividing every 2 or 3 years as it becomes necessary will induce stronger growth. Otherwise, plants are pest- and disease-free, requiring no special care.

Zones:

Zones various

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