When I purchased Gaillardia 'Burgundy,' it was to replace Agastache 'Firebird'. I did this for several reasons: planted against Calamogrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Forster', the upright spikes of 'Firebird' did not stand out very much, with too much of the same form. Another reason is that although I love the long bloom season of 'Firebird,' and that the hummingbirds are attracted to it, I've always been disappointed with the color, a faded orange/red, like a once-vibrant sheet that's been in the sun too long. I chose Gaillardia 'Burgundy' because the color would be more like the color of the Sandia mountains in the distance, because it also has a long bloom season, the flowers being disc shaped would make a better contrast to 'Karl' and being a hybrid of Southwest desert natives, would not require much water. I purchased six plants in very early spring.
I must say that 'Burgundy' has been a disappointment. First of all, the flowers in my garden are not really a burgundy color, but more of a brick red. These flowers are not as full and round as the species G. aristata but the petals more often than not are short, drooping or twisted, and frequently the flowers are malformed, missing petals entirely.
The plants have been a disappointment as well. These are not drought tolerant plants at all, no matter where their ancestry might have come from. In 90F temperatures, the plants are pathetically wilted by the afternoon, despite daily watering. Without daily watering, the plants completely collapse, even during the night. They require more water than Echinacea, which is practically a riparian plant in my yard.
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