I have buds on a second one:

They are not as red as I expected, but maybe they will look redder once they are completely open! Here is a random mixture of rudbeckias, with one that also looks a bit like cherry brandy:

Becky

Thanks for sharing those photos!

Bonnie

Becky

Prairie Sun is blooming nicely, ws'ed those last year.

Can you divide these things? Mine is going to get too big for its spot.

Let's hope they turn red eventually. If they stay this brown, it's the worst misrepresentation I've ever seen on seeds or flowers.

Karen

I may try to take a photo of the plant with the bud.

My campanula pink pantaloons which I've been wanting for quite some time is kind of ho hum, nice enough, but maybe they'll be better next year.

Link shows real diversity of bloom coloration on one plant.

Hope they turn "cheery cherry" for all of you!

I'm confused on whether these are annuals or perennials. I got my seeds from T&M, which lists it as a half-hardy annual, but I've also seen it listed as a perennial in zones 3-9?? Guess I'll find out next year ...

PV

I wonder if the seeds are not too reliable and revert? It's just new, and maybe they get one solid cherry, but the seeds from that won't necessarily bloom true, probably takes several generations to assure uniformity and even then, sometimes they could revert to characteristics of the parents.

It's called Rudbeckia Moreno, not exactly the same in the color gradations, but very, very close. Moreno has yellowish thingies around the purple eye, whereas yours shows no evidence of that, but maybe it comes later, haven't grown but on other Rud.

I got three seedlings from 25 seeds sown. Only this one has any blooms or buds. The other two just seem to be sitting there. I won't be fooled again.

Becky

The newer ones which opened today are the poopy brown on the edges.

Here's all of them

Hey, Token, the rest of us aren't complaining about low germination or poor plant performance. You are in a warmer zone than me but I have more of them in flower and lots of buds. Face it, some of us are better at this seed starting thing than others.

Seriously, I planted mine out when so tiny I could barely handle them. If I'd waited a little longer I expect more would have germinated. I just didn't give them much time. I knew they'd do better in the ground, and figured I had enough seedlings anyway, so I planted them when TINY.

Karen

Jap beetles are giving me fits right now, cut back all my roses and they're going after things they never did before.

Well I dont know what to say about that picture Karen its surely not anything I thought it would look like lol guess I will be planting them in a different spot. Looks like I have an addition for my black and white garden I am thinking bout starting lol.

But to tell the truth, I'm not sure if I want them to stick around. They are a long way from what I'd call a pretty flower now.

Karen

Karen

Becky

The curled petals seem to slowly flatten out as they open, after a day or two. But they're still not red. Approaching burgundy, maybe.

Karen

I'm waging my annual war against JB's. I don't know why they would swarm on your screen. I cut off the blooms, buds, and pruned back all my roses. Now they are going for other things they didn't before and also rose leaves of my once bloomers, repeat bloomers, plumbago, sitting on daisies, and clematis. Also my yellow Rudbeckia which they didn't bother last year.

I just got back from buying some Sevin and Grub-X, but I won't spray the Sevin on anything still blooming, will have to pick and drown those. I didn't want to go the Sevin route but have to save my new cherry trees so I will catch my pussywillow and a couple other things that aren't attracting bees while I'm at it. I expect it to get much worse here shortly.

I took another photo of mine this morning. The photo lies. They aren't this red in person. They are burgundy. They remind me of the color of dried blood.

Becky

Token: My oldest blossoms are also brownish-burgundy. The new ones opening now are the same as the others have been when new- dark brown fading to orange-brown. Nothing "cherry colored" about them as described by T&M. And they sure don't look like the picture in the catalogue.

Karen

I was drooling over them earlier this year here when someone posted their availability at T&M, but now I'm spitting. UGH!! You are right Ech, POO-POO!!

Rudbeckias are a prime example. Everybody loves rudbeckias. Most of us who grow them have a favorite cultivar or two. If I had never tried Prarie Sun and Irish Eyes, I never would have discovered that the green-eyed ones would be my favorites. And who knows? By summer's end, maybe it will be displaced from that pedestal in my mind's eye by Cherry Brandy. I doubt it, but if I hadn't tried it and seen it in my own yard with my own eyes, I'd never know for sure.

You can stick to your tried and true, bakemom. I plan to keep experimenting. Since people rave about Joe Pye (though pictures don't look so exceptional to me), I'm thinking maybe I'd better try that one...I must be missing something...better go search for seeds... no wait, maybe I can trade someone for my cherry brandy seeds...

Growing flowers from seeds is fun, even if the plant turns out to be a dud.

Karen

Karen

T&M seeds, specifically Rudbeckia Cherry Brandy, is currently quite the hot topic among gardeners. I chatter with gardeners everywhere via garden forums, and so far Cherry Brandy is a bust. We feel that the ugly brown blossoms we are seeing are terribly different from the beautiful red flowers posted by T&M. False advertising.
See some opinions, and not one good one yet
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/wtrsow/msg0614414622096.html?24

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/738665/

I received the following reply:

"Hello Karen,
Thanks for contacting Thompson & Morgan to let us know about your experience so far with Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy' and also about the postings on this variety. We do appreciate customer feedback and are very sorry to hear that you are disappointed in your results on this variety up to now.
Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy' was grown in independent official trial gardens all over the US last year and bloomed a deep cherry red, as pictured and got very favorable evaluations. The color develops as the blooms fully open and mature.
The photo used in our catalog is actually one taken from T&M's trial gardens in England where large beds were grown last year. They are being grown again this year and will be flowering shortly. Our trial gardener grew this variety on in well-drained, sandy soil, with regular watering, with a normal balanced fertilizer mix to get the resulting plants in the photo.
We noticed that there was some question in a few posts as to whether to plant this as an annual or perennial. We recommend growing it as an annual for best results.
We do stand behind our seeds, so if you are still disappointed with these plants once they have matured, please let us know and we will be happy to send you a refund."

So anyway, at least they did answer promptly and address questions from our thread. Still hard to believe that my flowers will ever turn as bright a red as in in their photo, though. I do have to add that my oldest blossoms, now
almost a week old, are looking better. They're more of a burgundy, but still nowhere near the bright red in the T&M picture. Maybe they'll grow on me with time.

Karen

They need a statement saying that the coloring in the picture may vary from the actual plant. I also believe they should use images from the u.s. for u.s. customers and pictures from england for english customers. Am I alone on this thought. Sorry for the rant but that tends to erk me and I didnt purchase seeds from them but still wrong is wrong.

I got to give props to them though for responding to you though that was pretty cool.

I'll reserve my final judgement on them until later in summer when they've had more of a chance. After all, they did just start opening a week ago. Maybe they'll grow on me. Maybe I should also feed them a little, as she mentioned "well-drained, sandy soil, with regular watering, with a normal balanced fertilizer mix to get the resulting plants in the photo". Mine are growing in clay with way too much cool cloudy weather and way too much rain, but that I can't control.

Karen

I have three of those, and am going to shovel prune them or possibly offer on freecycle.

I hate them, wouldn't so much if I hadn't expected so much more.

Karen

Becky

From my own collected seed. The mother plant was "Autumn colors" and died out shortly after planting it. I let the seed pods stay til fall and sowed the seeds in October of 2008. Brown flowers are very unattractive in July.

I'll collect seeds from all these again this year. Maybe I'll get a red rudbeckia that way.

Becky

Cherry Brandy:

This campanula (Punctata Cherry Bells) I got in the same order from Bluestone I like rather well, supposed to get taller and wider, colors don't look like theirs though, think mine will actually work better for where it is. Still I like it well enough, looks more rosy purplish to me:

The plants I started from seed are just starting to blossom now. One of them is that baby food orange color. This one orangy plant I set into the pines which is very acid soil. I am wondering if the soil conditions affect the flower color a great deal on these particular bloomers.

I am watching my front garden which is a much richer soil and not acid. This will give me a small comparison.

Anyone else notice this? I am just wondering if I am noticing a trend.

Mine have improved a lot with essence of time, too.

Karen

Not the burgundy I was expecting when I planted it, but not bad.

Bonnie