Coreopsis tripteris? (Jasper Co. Tall Coreopsis)

Description

This 6′-8′ tall evergreen native perennial bloom repeatedly in summer drawing clouds of bees and butterflies. Birds feed on the seeds. A well behaved plant forms tight clumps over several years. Although very tall, does not flop.  Plant in sun or shade in average to wet soil. I have never seen deer browse this plant, even in the garden where they destroyed the basil. Very rare locally. We propagated our plants from a native population in Jasper County, SC.

I will add photos to the catalog once I find suitable ones.

WHY THE ? I am not certain of the identify of this plant. The closest match I match I have for it is Coreopsis tripteris (Tall Coreopis).  However, the growth habitat and distribution do not closely match my plants. My plants grow like columns. Very tight clumps with very upright stems. My plants have gone through Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Irma. They did not lean over, even though they were well watered and fertilized.     Coreopsis tripteris is described as  as having lax stems that blow over in winds and aggressively spreading to form large stands.

The location of my source population does not fall within the known range of Coreopsis tripteris either.   I propagated my plants from ones I found  a wild population of  this plant sometime before 2016 less than 5 miles from the Ga Line and less than 25 miles from the Atlantic Ocean in Jasper Co., SC. . Although I travel through this area often, I  have never seen it anywhere else.    Coreopsis tripteris mainly occurs in the Mountains and Piedmont.  The Southernost Coastal Populations of this species lies more than 250 miles to the north in Onslow Co., NC. The closest known population of C. tripteris to my source population is in Richmond Co. GA which lies  more than 85 miles inland from my source population. Both Richmond and Richland Counties are along the Fall Line where the Coastal Plain and Piedmont meet. The counties have much colder winters and cooler summer nights than Jasper Co., GA.

I have provided some of my plants to another botanist, to grow out and verify the identity. I will update my catalog when I confirm the identity.