I got mine from T&M a few weeks ago - a little bit less expensive at Pinetree, but what the hay.

Looks like a lot of us will be growing this one next year - it'll be interesting!

PV

I got mine from T&M, too. It's one we'll probably all be comparing this summer, like Yvonne's Salvia.

Karen

Thanks Mary for the link. I got the catalog this week and have been planning on ordering them. Just got done. I had to order those big castors too after seeing that huge one here on ws forum. Barb

I got my Pinetree catalog yesterday, and placed my order today ... and yes it included the Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy'.

You can't beat 14 items for $22 including shipping! And those weren't even sale prices. I love Pinetree. They are one of my favorites!

Bonnie

I got lucky when one of our awesome members sent it to me as a bonus in a trade! Now that's a great bonus! :)

Angie, that is cause you are so special, and always giving to others !!

I look forward to seeing how you all do with this one..I look forward to lots of pictures !!

Kym

I have high hopes for this one. I grow R. Goldstrum in front of my mobile home, and it is really wonderful, but now I'm getting tired of it and I want to replace it some of the more colorful ruds. My plan is to interplant the new colors with the existing plants, and later when they mature I'll remove most of the remaining golds.

It will be interesting to see if Cherry Brandy will bloom the first year.

Mary

They better blossom the first year-- they are a half-hardy annual. :)

I guess I'm so spoiled by perennial goldsturm that I forget there are annual ruds too...I also have other annual seeds in my stash so maybe I'll plan to grow those too and have a nice assortment of rudbeckias in my garden this year. I think I need to get some more potting soil this week.

Mary

Ok. What does half hardy annual mean? And will it come true from seed collected? I'm going to be really upset if I have to buy this every year.

I googled and read that half-hardy annuals can tolerate damp cold weather but they cannot tolerate frost so I guess they should be sown later like other tender annuals. As for coming true from seed, I can't give you a definitive answer, but it would be my hope that they will come true or at least close to the parent.

Those of you who know more about this, please jump in here!

Mary

Rudbeckia x hirta Cherry Brandy

A hybrid has an "x" symbolizing it is a "cross" between two species.

Rudbeckia x hirta Cherry Brandy

A hybrid has an "x" symbolizing it is a "cross" between two species.

So if it's planted near Hirta, there's a good chance it will revert back, right? Only some of the seeds will produce red flowers?

Hybrids do not have seed that comes true. You may get some VERY interesting plants from collecting the seed from Cherry Brandy. I bought these seeds myself from T&M and I plan on saving seed from my Cherry Brandy plants to see what spins off's I will get from them. You never know what you will get.

A hybrid has an "x" symbolizing it is a "cross" between two species.

The only place I saw the "x" being used is on T&M website. If it is a hybrid, I'm curious which species are the parents of Cherry Brandy? Many seed websites don't specify the species of their seeds, some don't even tell you the botanical name, just the common name. This drives me nuts, because I am a stickler for knowing the species of flowers I grow.

I think Cherry Brandy might be a cultivar of Rudbeckia hirta, like 'Indian Summer' and 'Prairie Sun'. But not sure.

It appears to be so: T&M calls them "Rudbeckia x hirta Cherry Brandy". Acording to this article, the breeding program "tried to get the red out of various bronze colored rudbeckia selections". It also says the color is stable.

T&M lists all their R. Hirtas as half-hardy annuals, but most of my hirtas have come back for a second year. I'm hoping the cherry brandy will also be a short-lived perennial, living at least a couple of years.

Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: Cherry Brandy

Thanks for the link Karen, those colors are amazing. I'm really looking forward to comparing notes, it will be fun. Thanks too to all of you who added info about this plant. With only 23 days to solstice, I am "chomping on the bit".

Anyone going to post a solstice countdown clock???

Mary

Anybody actually count the number of seeds in these packets from T&M? You might be happily surprised.

I am happy with the red color in mine so far. The seeds I planted are not blossoming yet, but the two plants I purchased are.

I am reading about a lot of disappointments on Plantfiles.

Another website mentions that these will heavily self-seed. No word on what the next generation of blossoms look like though!

Here is a link that might be useful: Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy' PlantFiles