diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/TypeCoercion.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/TypeCoercion.scala
index 06d8350db9891..e5230522b208b 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/TypeCoercion.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/TypeCoercion.scala
@@ -150,9 +150,27 @@ object TypeCoercion {
   }
 
   private def findWiderCommonType(types: Seq[DataType]): Option[DataType] = {
+    var awaitingString = false
     types.foldLeft[Option[DataType]](Some(NullType))((r, c) => r match {
-      case Some(d) => findWiderTypeForTwo(d, c)
-      case None => None
+      case Some(d) => (d, c) match {
+        case (DateType, _: NumericType) | (_: NumericType, DateType) |
+            (TimestampType, _: NumericType) | (_: NumericType, TimestampType) =>
+          awaitingString = true
+          None
+        case _ => findWiderTypeForTwo(d, c)
+      }
+      case None if awaitingString => c match {
+        case DateType => None
+        case TimestampType => None
+        case (_: NumericType) => None
+        case StringType =>
+          awaitingString = false
+          Some(StringType)
+        case _ =>
+          awaitingString = false
+          None
+        }
+      case _ => None
     })
   }
 
diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/TypeCoercionSuite.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/TypeCoercionSuite.scala
index d62e3b6dfe34f..07864e10468c1 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/TypeCoercionSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/TypeCoercionSuite.scala
@@ -528,6 +528,11 @@ class TypeCoercionSuite extends AnalysisTest {
       Coalesce(Seq(nullLit, floatNullLit, doubleLit, stringLit)),
       Coalesce(Seq(Cast(nullLit, StringType), Cast(floatNullLit, StringType),
         Cast(doubleLit, StringType), Cast(stringLit, StringType))))
+
+    ruleTest(rule,
+      Coalesce(Seq(timestampLit, intLit, stringLit)),
+      Coalesce(Seq(Cast(timestampLit, StringType), Cast(intLit, StringType),
+        Cast(stringLit, StringType))))
   }
 
   test("CreateArray casts") {
@@ -938,27 +943,32 @@ class TypeCoercionSuite extends AnalysisTest {
       AttributeReference("i", IntegerType)(),
       AttributeReference("u", DecimalType.SYSTEM_DEFAULT)(),
       AttributeReference("b", ByteType)(),
-      AttributeReference("d", DoubleType)())
+      AttributeReference("d", DoubleType)(),
+      AttributeReference("a", DateType)())
     val secondTable = LocalRelation(
       AttributeReference("s", StringType)(),
       AttributeReference("d", DecimalType(2, 1))(),
       AttributeReference("f", FloatType)(),
-      AttributeReference("l", LongType)())
+      AttributeReference("l", LongType)(),
+      AttributeReference("t", TimestampType)())
     val thirdTable = LocalRelation(
       AttributeReference("m", StringType)(),
       AttributeReference("n", DecimalType.SYSTEM_DEFAULT)(),
       AttributeReference("p", FloatType)(),
-      AttributeReference("q", DoubleType)())
-    val forthTable = LocalRelation(
+      AttributeReference("q", DoubleType)(),
+      AttributeReference("l", LongType)())
+    val fourthTable = LocalRelation(
       AttributeReference("m", StringType)(),
       AttributeReference("n", DecimalType.SYSTEM_DEFAULT)(),
       AttributeReference("p", ByteType)(),
-      AttributeReference("q", DoubleType)())
+      AttributeReference("q", DoubleType)(),
+      AttributeReference("s", StringType)())
 
-    val expectedTypes = Seq(StringType, DecimalType.SYSTEM_DEFAULT, FloatType, DoubleType)
+    val expectedTypes = Seq(StringType, DecimalType.SYSTEM_DEFAULT, FloatType, DoubleType,
+      StringType)
 
     val unionRelation = widenSetOperationTypes(
-      Union(firstTable :: secondTable :: thirdTable :: forthTable :: Nil)).asInstanceOf[Union]
+      Union(firstTable :: secondTable :: thirdTable :: fourthTable :: Nil)).asInstanceOf[Union]
     assert(unionRelation.children.length == 4)
     checkOutput(unionRelation.children.head, expectedTypes)
     checkOutput(unionRelation.children(1), expectedTypes)