Odd Red Coreopsis in the Garden Today

Red flower amidst yellow Coreopsis tinctoria

On Monday morning, I usually step outside with my camera and capture as many images as I can of the garden, the wildlife and the woods; most of the picture accompany various articles I have due during the week.  As I stepped down the new (and spiffy, I might add) garden path, I stopped to take some pictures of the Coreopsis tinctoria or "Plains Coreopsis" I have growing throughout the garden. I planted one small seed package, and it reseeds so prolifically that I have it growing throughout the garden now. I used to dislike it, but now I like it - mostly because the flowers smother out weeds. I remain suspicious of it, however, mostly for its tendency to reseed so freely I'm pulling plants out of our gravel driveway. Tough as nails, that Coreopsis.

A flash of red caught my eye and I bent closer to inspect it. Imagine my surprise when I found a red coreopsis growing among the yellow ones. At first I thought it might be a stray cosmos, but no - the leaves are identical to Coreopsis tinctoria.

Have you ever heard of this? I know red is another common color, but I have never grown red in my garden - and none of my neighbors have red either.  Is this just a typical genetic fluke or what? The only ones I could find online claim to be dwarf red Coreopsis tinctoria, but this one isn't dwarf - it's nearly 3 feet tall, as tall as its neighbors.

I'm just glad I happened to photograph that Coreopsis and not another patch in the garden!

Red - growing among the yellow - Coreopsis-like foliage....

More in the same area. I couldn't find another red one!