Calliopsis tinctoria is a lovely, no-fuss annual. I saw some on a garden tour a few years ago and the woman that grew them told me that it’s easy to sprout them from seed indoors or out. For the last few years I’ve been sprouting seeds inside in late winter and transplanting young plants into my garden in May.
The yellow and red flowers sit atop airy stems reaching a height of about 4 feet. They make a great back-of-the-border plant. I do deadhead my plants occasionally but not meticulously. Cosmos have a tendency to bloom themselves to death by mid-summer, and I’m guessing Calliopsis might share that trait.
Supposedly they self-sow, but I haven’t seen any volunteers. Perhaps that occurs in warmer growing zones. The plants will bloom into early fall, and as the season wears on, some of the flowers may appear more red or reddish-brown.
Calliopsis tinctoria is a pretty, easy-to-grow annual and fun to photograph!
