Marg..I've had trouble with this plant as well. Have tried last 2 years and even though it flowered profusely well into fall, it didn't over-winter both times. I even had it in a south-facing foundation planting (zone 4)and mulched it heavily over winter. Still no luck. Perhaps it's not as hardy as advertised. Disappointing since it's such a beautiful plant. The "zagreb" came back and though the flower colour and effect isn't quite as nice as the "moonbeam" it seems to be a more vigorous plant. You may wish to consider it instead? C

I prefer the Moonbeam because of the soft yellow. I've even considered keeping it in a pot and overwintering it in my unheated porch, it never freezes so I think that even if it does get really cold, it will survive. It's worth a try. Good to know it isn't just me that has problems growing it.

I live in zone 3--I have had Moonbeam Correopsis for years and it's one of my favorites. I bought 1 plant years ago and I've cut off pieces and planted them elsewhere in other flower beds. I've transplanted the origional and even gave pieces away.

A word on warning--You may have thought it didn't over winter and dug there thus killing the plant.

Moonbeam is very late to come up in the spring. All my other perennials are up and growing long before it shows up. You know what this spring was like, yet my moonbeam didn't show until the end of May in one bed.

I don't know why you can't grow it Marg--Maybe you just have to give it a bit of special attention until it gets established.

I'm glad it grows for someone! LOL. I planted it in a raised bed in full sun. It would always flower great the first year but that was it. It never came up before the end of June either and I got tired of looking at an empty spot where it was supposed to be. After about 5 years of trying to grow it I'm thinking of looking for something else. Do you know anything that looks similar to Moonbeam? Marg

Oilpainter, do you cut your moonbeam back early in the fall while it's still blooming? I've read elsewhere that sometimes the coreopsis can flower itself to death if you let it so cutting back early helps root development before winter.

marric:

I wouldn't get rid of it. If you get tired of looking at that empty spot then plant some early blooming tulips around it or hyacinth or crocus. They will bloom and fill in that spot a bit and be finished by the time the Correopsis is big enough to take over.

allandale:
No I don't cut it back at all. I do however cut the blooms off of my sunray Correopsis in September so that it can prepare for winter. The larger double flowered ones are the ones that will bloom themselves to death.

On a side note I never cut my perennials down too much--not more than a foot-foot and a half from the ground. I want them taller to catch the snow and protect the roots.

My coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' is sluggish to grow in the spring, but I too like the pastel yellow colour. My mid yellow ones like Zagreb and Golden Gain are much more vigorous than Moonbeam, and more floriferous. I recently read a new book by Adrian Bloom (Bressingham Gardens fame) and he also has negative comments about good old 'Moonbeam'.

My moonbeams look dead, I live in Missouri and I am not sure if I need to plant something else or just wait a little longer to see if they come back. Can someone please help me?