Family: Asteraceae

Form: Upright herbaceous annual or short-lived perennial, 1.5 to 3 feet tall

Leaves: Simple or compound (pinnately to bipinnately), opposite, entire, glabrous. Basal leaves oblanceolate, upper leaves linear. Leaves variable, ¼ to ¾ cm wide by 1 to 11 cm long

Stem/Bark: Thin, round, smooth, green, 1/10 to ½ cm diameter

Flower: Yellow ray flowers with dark centers comprised of multiple stamens are produced on multiple 2.5 to 4 cm heads in spring and occasionally throughout the year. The multiple ray petals are often lobed or indented at the tips

Fruit: Dark brown or black ovoid achenes that are encased by a light brown wing

Comments: The Coreopsis genus includes at least 11 species that are native to Florida . C. leavenworthii is similar to C. lanceolata but has a dark brown center, whereas C. lanceolata has a yellow or orange center and wider leaves. A known cultivar is ‘Early Sunrise’