Coreopsis lanceolata collected in the Black Prairie region of Oktibbeha County.

MISSA031147 Mississippi State University Herbarium

Yellow Tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata) is a beautfiul wildflower that frequents prarie remnants, like the Black Prairie, of Mississippi.

(Creative Commons)

STATE WILDFLOWER
TICKSEED

(Coreopsis Lanceolata)

Designated as State Wildflower in 1991.

A common inhabitant of roadsides across the state, the bright yellow sunflower-like flowers of these plants are a cheerful reminder of the short spring of Mississippi.  The tickseeds comprise a group of about 35 species, 28 of which are native to North America. Many of these species are cultivated and readily grown in well-drained soils of Mississippi. The name “tickseed” comes from the resemblance of the seeds to small “bugs” or ticks.