PlantFiles: Giant Coreopsis
Coreopsis gigantea

Very unique California native plant. Grows only on or near the coast from San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara County to western Los Angeles County and on some of the Channel Islands.

First saw these weird plants along the coast in Ventura county... they have smooth, woody stems up to 3' tall and topped with lacy, arched glaucous to lime green leaves. They grow right out of the cliff sides and though they get misted nearly every day in thick fogs, must survive on almost no water growing in very dry, sandy soil. During summer they are mostly dead looking stems and look like something that would grow on the moon.... at other times of the year a little sprig of fern-like foliage would sprout at the tips of these weird tubular curved structures. Some grow this as a pot plant, like a weird caudiciform. Tolerates frost down to 25F.