The photo is my own. Before you read the reviews below, please note that this variety is not daylength neutral, so the exceptionally early 40-day bloom time only applies at the optimal planting time, probably sometime in May. When planted later in the season it blooms around 60 days like most of the single stem varieties (this one is branching). This review is from Swallowtail Garden: "Flowering in only 40 days, Cherry Rose is quite possibly the fastest-blooming sunflower. The dazzling, 3 to 4 in. pollen-free, cherry-red flowers are tipped in lemon-yellow, and feature handsome chocolate-brown cones. Cherry Rose is an excellent sunflower for cutting, the flowers keep coming over a long season on branching, 4-5 ft. tall plants." Sunflower Selections says: "Reddish color intensity varies with growing conditions. Under low light intensities flowers tend to have deeper plum color. Bright sunny conditions favor a light almost pink color. We have even seen both flower extremes on different branches of the same plant!" Branching; recommended to pinch at around 18 inches tall for several blooms with nice long stems, or if you want the earliest bloom, you could disbud the top several leafsets but leave the top flower bud to bloom. Plant Height: 4-6ft
