Rudbeckia hirta Cherry Brandy

The Rudbeckia x hirta 'Cherry Brandy' is a perennial ephemeral plant, offering fully and truly red flowers for the first time, a rich red with a thousand deep and velvety nuances. Its inflorescences, similar to double daisies, display a cherry red colour nuanced with purple and light red towards the tip of the petals, centred on a large black chocolate heart. The flowers renew constantly from July to October on a sturdy plant, magnificent in borders, flower beds, and flower pots. Indifferent to heat and poor soils, it blooms equally well in sunny locations and partial shade.

The Rudbeckia (x) hirta 'Cherry Brandy' is a recent cultivar resulting, among others, from the Hairy Rudbeckia, a wild plant from the asteraceae family native to the North American prairies. It is a perennial ephemeral plant with very rapid growth, most often grown as an annual or biennial. Indeed, in the garden, it will not last more than 2 to 3 years, but it self-seeds quite easily. 'Cherry Brandy' is shorter than its ancestor, reaching a height of 60 cm (24in) and spreading to about 40 cm (16in). This cultivar stands out with the sensational colour of its red flowers with satin and iridescent petals. The inflorescences of the Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy' are large daisies or solitary heads with a diameter of 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4in), centred on a prominent black-brown-violet cone. A large number of flowers succeed each other from July to October on the plant, forming an impressive mass. At the end of summer, the petals fade and fall, while the heart of the flowers dries and mummifies. The flowers can then be picked and incorporated into a dried bouquet. The foliage consists of a tuft of lanceolate, dentate basal leaves, dark green, 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4in) long, from which sturdy, ramified floral stems rise. The stems bear narrower, rather oval cauline leaves.

The dumpy silhouette of Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy' allows it to fit into perennial flower beds, borders, and large flower pots. It can be paired with other varieties or accompanied by inulas, asters, yarrows, daisies, echinops, phlox. Lighten the scene by mixing in some ornamental grasses such as Stipa tenuifolia, Muhlenbergia capillaris. Splendid in flower beds, its beautiful colours are also very attractive in fresh or dried flower arrangements. It provides a source of fresh flowers for making magnificent summer bouquets. Hardy, the plant likes sunny or semi-shady locations but does not care about the soil; it is a particularly heat-resistant variety and tolerant of dry and poor soils.

An ecological asset: throughout summer, the nectar-rich flowers of Rudbeckias attract pollinating insects and butterflies to your garden. A good way to improve your garden's ecosystem and promote fruit and vegetable production in your vegetable garden. In autumn, you can admire the incessant ballet of birds, especially goldfinches, which will come to feed on the mature seeds they find in the dried flowers' hearts.

Note: Please be aware that our young plug plants are professional products intended for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, transplant and store them under shelter (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame) at a temperature above 14C° for a few weeks before installing them outdoors, once the risk of frost has been definitively eliminated.