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Where the garden meets the wild |
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PAEONIA PEONY 芍药属 Paeoniaceae (Peony family) |
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| Plants Index Trees & Shrubs Return to Perennials | |
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Peonies have been delighting gardeners for 1600 years or so, and peonies with their wild beauty intact are the choice of connoisseurs.
Despite their beauty, peonies enter historical records first in remedies for pain, infection and high blood pressure. Their Western name refers to Paion, physician to the Greek gods. In China, home of more peony species than any other region, wild-peony medicines are described in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing 神 農 本 草 經, a classic herbal written around 200 BC, but they were doubtless in use much earlier. Serious revisions of the genus Paeonia have begun on several bases ~ molecular, genetic, taxonomic ~ and a couple of important horticultural treatments are in the works as well. Struck by the confusion in Paeonia knowledge and nomenclature, we have arranged a series of Peony study-tours in China. One consequence of these stimulating tours is that we now usually follow the peony nomenclature of Hong Deyuan, the prominent Chinese botanist who has been studying peonies around the world for years. Hong and his allies have shown that several supposedly distinct species are actually just selections from a mass of intergrading forms. These "species" are now described as complexes, for clarity: the Paeonia anomala complex, the Paeonia daurica complex, the Paeonia delavayi complex, and so on. Botanically, this makes sense. Since gardeners cherish some of the variations formerly called species, however, we mention the old labels with the new. Another consequence of our study-tours is that we have fallen in love with Ziban mudan ~ Paeonia rockii cultivars. We will soon be offering you the cream of the cream of these purple-hearted peonies, the pride of Gansu province for centuries. Here at home, we have a large collection of species and heritage peonies in our display garden. The best bloom is in May, if you would like to make an appointment to visit. For enthusiasts, our list of Peony Resources is here. |
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| More peonies will be added to this list as spring progresses. | |
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Photographs © Paige Woodward |
Paeonia
'Anika' progeny. These are the offspring of a beautiful herbaceous
daurica hybrid from Galen Burrell that we
cherish for the subtle coloring of its spring leaves: purple and coppery
at first, turning slowly to bronze and finally green. The flowers are
cream with raspberry veins. This plant is extremely vigorous. The
progeny are from hand-pollinated seeds and should look a lot like the
original. Here you see 'Anika' in our
garden in spring. Height to about 1 m (3'). Zone 6.
4-year-old plants. In Canada C$35.00 |
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Photograph © Galen Burrell |
Paeonia anomala
Linnaeus subsp.
anomala. 新疆芍药(原亚种)
Xin jiang shao yao (Yuan ya zhong) (Chinese).
The
flowers of this herbaceous treasure ~ usually one per stem ~ are crimson with golden filaments
and anthers and about 10 cm (4") across. The highly dissected leaves are dark
green above and paler below; with a hand lens you can see a line of
bristles along the main veins. At left you see a possible hybrid (truth in
advertising!) that looks just like the species. Native
to Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia in Russia, and Xinjiang in China. Height 50-100 cm (20-40"). Zone 5, perhaps
colder.
Mature divisions of plants from seeds collected in the Altai Mountains. $90.00 |
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Photograph © Galen Burrell
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Paeonia
anomala subsp. veitchii
(Lynch) D.Y. Hong & K.Y. Pan. Woodward's peony.
川赤芍
Chuan shi shao (Chinese). This is the low-growing beauty formerly known as Paeonia veitchii var. woodwardii
(Stern
& Cox) Stern. No matter
its label, this is "a delightful garden plant and easy to grow in
any soil or situation." ~ F.C. Stern in A Study of the Genus
Paeonia. Pink flowers ~ several per stem
~ with purple filaments and golden anthers open in June above grey-green, dissected leaves on a shrub much
shorter than the typical 90-cm (35") anomala subsp. veitchii. Native to
fairly moist sites: alpine
and subalpine meadows, scrub and forest openings in much of western China.
At left you see it growing wild in Sichuan province. Introduced to the
West from seeds collected at Choni [now Jone] Lamasery in Gansu province, in 1912, by George
Fenwick-Owen. Named for the man who first grew it from those seeds,
Robert Woodward of Arley Castle, Worcestershire, who died in action in
1915. Height 30 cm (12"). Zone 6. 4-year-old plants. $50.00 |
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Photographs © James W. Waddick |
Paeonia 'Bartzella'
(Roger Anderson, 1986). Winner,
2006 Gold Medal of the American Peony Society. APS 2007 Peony of the Year.
This golden beauty would make a
fine present for a very special gardener. It is the best of the
Intersectionals, or Itohs, as crosses between tree peonies and herbaceous peonies
are known. The masses of huge, semi-double to double flowers on this peony
are not
only lemon-gold but lemon-scented, with a
slight red flare at the base of the petals. They
bloom
in May-June above handsome, fingered leaves that last till fall. Flowers
on established plants can be 20 cm (8") across. 'Bartzella'
is very hardy; the entire plant dies down in autumn, passing winter safe
below ground like herbaceous peonies. Height 25-43 cm (26-36"). Zone
3, perhaps colder. Grand Champion, 97th
annual show of the American Peony Society, June 2002. Substantial, flowering-size division. $200.00 |
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Photograph © Jesús Calleja |
Paeonia
broteri
Boissier &
Reuter. Brotero's peony. Sometimes mistakenly spelled "broteroi";
named for the 18th-century Portuguese botanist Félix da Silva de Avellar,
who published under the name Brotero, writing it "Broterus" in Latin. "Paeonia
broteri is a charming plant and is too seldom seen in gardens" ~
F.C. Stern. The bowl-shaped flowers ~ one per stem ~ are pale pink
shading to rose-purple at the edges, with yellow-green filaments and
golden anthers; they are about 10 cm (4") across. The dark green
leaves are divided. Native to
open woods in central, western and southern Spain and southern
Portugal. Needs dappled or part-day shade. Often found on calcareous soil. Our plants are from seed collected wild near
Granada in
Spain. Height about 40 cm (16"). Zone 7-8, officially. We are growing it
under south-facing shelter in
Zone 6.
Not available this year. |
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Photograph © Galen Burrell
Seeds are swelling in the green carpels. Photograph © Jeff Abbas |
Paeonia brownii Douglas
ex Hooker. Brown's peony. This is the more widespread
of North America's two peonies, whose nearest relatives are the tree
peonies of China. This shapely herbaceous shrub should be
planted more often. Bowl-shaped flowers of gold, green and maroon, with a
golden boss, appear in May-June. The sepals, the petals and the incised, glaucous leaves are
rounded. Paeonia brownii is native to dry sagebrush and Ponderosa pine
country from British Columbia south to Wyoming, Nevada, Utah and
California. Our plants are from seeds collected in Oregon. Height 20-40 cm (8-16"). Zone
6, perhaps colder. Paeonia brownii thrives with us in 10 times more rain than the 18-25 cm (7-10") it is used to. In the wild, it likes the shade of shrubbery. With us, drainage and aeration are key. Our plants grow on a bright, porous, southwest-facing bank, sheltered but not shaded by a Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Dry areas are often alkaline; we sometimes mix calcium into the acid soil around our North American peonies, just in case. 3-year-old plants. $35.00 |
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Photograph © John Game |
Paeonia californica
Torrey & A. Gray. California peony. Sometimes considered a subspecies of Paeonia
brownii, this herbaceous shrub differs from it most strikingly in
that its first leaves above ground (possibly its first leaves, period) are
not cotyledons, but adult leaves. It also differs in being taller,
fuller and more branched, with green sepals and more scarlet in its petals, leaves that
are pale on the underside, and longer petals and leaflets with oval rather than round
tips. P. californica is native to the dry
slopes of California's southwestern mountains and we don't know the limit
of its hardiness. In Zone 6 it has survived hard frost, but succumbed
after an early thaw was followed by more frost. We therefore keep it in a
cold frame, heavily mulched, or in the cold greenhouse. Height 35-75 cm (14-30").
2-year-old plants from wild seeds. $35.00 |
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Photograph © Galen Burrell
Photographs © Paige Woodward |
Paeonia cambessedesii (Willkomm)
Willkomm. Balearic
Islands peony. Rose-pink flowers, up to 10 cm (4") across,
with red filaments and golden anthers, bloom early, in April-May, on
red stems above grey-green, leathery, biternate leaves with maroon undersides.
"P.
cambessedesii is one of the most delightful of all paeonies for the
garden" ~ F.C. Stern. A protected rare plant under the Berne
Convention, this peony is named for the 19th-century French botanist Jacques
Cambessèdes. It is native to
Mallorca, its satellite island Cabrera, and Menorca. Our plants are from seeds collected on Mallorca. This peony likes rich, porous loam and part shade.
It also does well in pots. Height to 45 cm
(18"). Zone 7? We grow it well mulched in Zone 6. Award of Garden
Merit (Royal Horticultural Society) 1993. 2-year-old plants. In Canada C$54.00 |
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| Paeonia caucasica | |
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| Paeonia
coriacea Boissier. Rose-pink flowers with red filaments
and golden anthers bloom in May-June above dissected leaves that are grey-green
and leathery. This scrubland plant is similar to P.
mascula subsp. russoi
in appearance, but it has more leaflets and typically produces a
"jester's cap" seedhead of two follicles instead of three.
Native to S Spain, Corsica, Sardinia and the Middle Atlas
Mountains in Morocco. This plant prefers some shade. Height to 100
cm (40"), usually less. Zone 7-8 by most accounts, but it has
survived our Zone 6 winters. Mature divisions. In Canada C$72.00. |
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Paeonia daurica
Andrews. Hong, whom we follow here,
has shown that this complex
of herbaceous peonies from the Caucasus comprises 5 geographically separate
but quite similar subspecies: coriifolia, wittmanniana, mlokosewitschii,
tomentosa and macrophylla. All have multiple, carrot-shaped roots;
leaves that are usually twice divided, with 9 more or less obovate leaflets;
and one flower per stem. Petal shape, leaf shape, indumentum on leaves and
carpels, and flower color are all variable, even within populations.
The epithet daurica is a slip of the pen preserved in nomenclatural amber. Daurica means "of Dahuria," a region of Siberia. Taurica refers to the Crimea, the heartland of this group of peonies. |
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Photograph © A.M.D. Hoog
Photograph © Paige Woodward |
Paeonia
daurica
subsp. coriifolia
(Ruprecht) D. Y. Hong.
Ruprecht's peony. We have offered this plant before as P. ruprechtiana
Kemularia-Nathadze. Among its other former names are P. corallina triternata forma
coriifolia Ruprecht and P. corallina. It has leaves
that are two or three times divided and either glabrous or slightly hairy.
They are maroon when they emerge in February,
turning green as the flowers open in April-May. This subspecies is native to elevations below
1000 m (3300') in the NW Caucasus Mountains. Our plants are divisions
of plants grown from seeds collected near Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia,
by staff of Tbilisi Botanic Garden. Height 50 cm (20"),
sometimes more. Zone 6.
Blooming-size plants. $65.00 |
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Photograph © A.M.D. Hoog |
Paeonia
daurica
subsp. coriifolia
(Ruprecht) D. Y. Hong.
Kavache peony. We have offered this plant before as P.
kavachensis Aznavour. Among its other former names is P.
caucasica. Violet-pink flowers, about 8 cm (4")
across, bloom in April-May above twice-ternate, glabrous leaves. Named for
the kavachensis type site: the Kavache district near Lake Van, in
what was then Armenia (now Turkey). Our plants descend from material that
the Czech collector Petr
Vasak found in 1991 at 50-200 m (160-650') in the foothills of the W Caucasus,
near Sochi, the centre of the "Russian Riviera" on the Black Sea. This is
a plant of open forest; it prefers part-day shade. Height 50 cm
(20"). Zone 6, perhaps colder.
Blooming-size plants. $65.00 |
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Photograph © A.M.D. Hoog |
Paeonia
daurica
subsp. macrophylla
(Albow)
D.Y. Hong. Big-leaf peony, Steven's peony. Among the
former names of this tetraploid plant with beautiful yellow flowers are Paeonia
macrophylla Steven and P. steveniana Kemularia Nathadze. It often has leaflets larger than those of other plants in the
daurica complex. It grows on wooded mountain slopes in SW Georgia
and NE Turkey. Our plants are from seeds collected wild in Bakurian,
Georgia. Zone 6.
Blooming-size plants. $97.00 |
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Photograph © Galen Burrell |
Paeonia
daurica subsp. mlokosewitschii
(Lomakin) D.Y. Hong, rose
form. Lagodechi Gorge peony. This used to be called Paeonia
lagodechiana Kemularia Nathadze. It is known only from the Lagodechi Gorge in Georgia's Caucasus Mountains,
where it grows alongside the plant that used to be called Paeonia
mlokosewitschii Lomakin. One is pink, one is yellow. They are color
forms, not separate species. These are plants of open, montane, deciduous
forest, prefer some shade and bloom in April-May. The leaflets of subsp. mlokosewitschii
are obovate and usually, but not always, have a sharp apex. Height to
about 1 m (3'), often less. Zone 6. 2-year-old plants. $36.00 |
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Photograph © Galen Burrell
Photograph © A.M.D. Hoog |
Paeonia
daurica
subsp. mlokosewitschii
(Lomakin) D.Y. Hong, yellow
form. Golden peony; Molly-the-witch; Caucasian peony. This glory of the
NE Caucasus Mountains, the yellow form of the subspecies, used to be called Paeonia mlokosewitschii Lomakin. It remains hard to come by,
despite its fame. "In
my opinion the finest Paeony of the herbaceous sorts." ~ F.C. Stern.
Its stems and soft leaves are ruddy when they emerge,
becoming grey-blue-green. Its flowers, which may be pale or deep yellow, are about 10 cm (4") across, open in
April-May, and are sometimes
lemon-scented. It is native to sunny openings in
deciduous woods on rocky slopes
in NE Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Russian republics of Chechnya and Dagestan, and Iran. The
most famous site is the Lagodechi Gorge in Georgia, home also to the pink
form that used to be called Paeonia
lagodechiana. Height to about 1 m
(3'), often less. Zone 6. Award of Garden
Merit (Royal Horticultural Society) 1993, as P.
mlokosewitschii.
3-year-old plants from wild seeds through Will McLewin in England. $58.00 Blooming-size plants from wild seeds through a Russian source. $95.00 |
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Photograph © Galen Burrell |
Paeonia
daurica
subsp. wittmanniana
(Hartwiss ex Lindley) D.Y. Hong. Wittmann's peony. Formerly
offered as P. wittmanniana. Ivory flowers with a yellow boss bloom in April-June above
large, dark green leaves. This vigorous,
tetraploid peony was named for a Russian plant collector of the 19th
century. It grows in forest margins and meadows at high elevations in the
disputed Abkhazia district of Georgia and adjacent Russia, at the W end of the Caucasus Mountains. Our plants are from wild seeds. Height
to about 1 m (3'). Zone 6.
Mature plants. $65.00 |
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Photographs © Galen Burrell
Photograph © Paige Woodward |
Paeonia
daurica
juveniles.
We used to offer these as mlokosewitschii hybrids.
We aren't sure whether to consider them crosses at all, now that so
many "species" are part of the daurica complex. At any
rate, these 2-year-old juveniles are exceptionally robust and should bloom
in 2-3 years. Some should have peach-pink flowers, others lemon-chiffon.
In early spring, the leaves of daurica subsp. mlokosewitschii and many of its kin, including these, open maroon or purple, gradually shading to green over a month or two. Height to about 1 m (3'). Zone 6. 2-year-old plants. $30.00 |
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| Paeonia delavayi Franchet. Père Delavay's tree peony. 滇牡丹 Dian mu dan (Chinese.) Hong's treatment in the Flora of China folds many variations into one vast species, P. delavayi. Flowering maroon, red or yellow; tall or short; from hither or yon: all are seen as one intergrading complex. P. delavayi is native to open pine and oak forest, scrub, and occasionally meadows in Sichuan, Yunnan and Xizang (Tibet). It is named for the French missionary and botanist Père Jean Marie Delavay, who collected it in Yunnan in 1884. | |
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Photograph © Paige Woodward
Photograph © Pat Woodward |
Paeonia delavayi
Franchet.
Formerly Paeonia potaninii
Komarov. Potanin's red tree peony.
Two or three nodding, red-maroon-black flowers per shoot, with red
filaments and anthers of red or gold, bloom in May-June. Our bottom image at
left shows the narrowly cut leaves and the beginning of fall color. "P. potaninii will
grow in the garden in sun or shade and is not particular as to soil. It
... is suitable as an undershrub in the
woodland garden, where it is handsome both in leaf and flower." ~ F.C.
Stern. Somewhat stoloniferous. Native to the mountains of western China. Named for
the Russian explorer Grigori Nikolaevich Potanin (1835-1920). Height to 1.8 m (6'), usually
about half that in gardens. Zone
6, perhaps colder.
Flowering-size plants. $65.00 |
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Photograph © Galen Burrell |
Paeonia delavayi
Franchet.
Potanin's yellow tree peony. Formerly Paeonia potaninii var. trollioides (Stapf
ex Stern) Stern. The flower is Trollius-like: yellow, with a
golden boss, and held upright. The leaves are similar to those of the previous item,
but the plant is shorter. "Of the easiest culture in sun or shade." ~ F.C.
Stern. Increases rapidly by stolons. We offer suckers of a wild
plant. Height about 1 m (3'). Zone 6, perhaps colder. Division (sucker). Not available this season. |
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| Paeonia delavayi var. ludlowii | |
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Photographs © Galen Burrell |
Paeonia emodi Wallich ex
Royle. Himalayan
peony. 多花芍药
Duo
hua shao yao (Chinese). White
flowers with a golden boss ~ two to four per stem and fragrant ~ bloom in May above shiny, dissected leaves. Prefers open shade. Native
to cool elevations across the Himalaya in northern
Pakistan, northwestern India, western Nepal and one known site in southwestern Xizang
(Tibet) in China. Our plants are from hand-pollinated seeds of plants
from wild seeds. Height to 75 cm (30"). Zone 6. 2-year-old plants. $60.00 |
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| Paeonia kavachensis | |
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| Paeonia lagodechiana | |
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Photographs © Galen Burrell
Photograph © Paige Woodward |
Paeonia ludlowii
(Stern & G. Taylor) D.Y. Hong. Tall yellow tree peony.
Ludlow's tree peony.
大花黄牡丹 Da hua huang mu
dan
(Chinese). Each stem bears three or four fragrant
yellow flowers. The dissected leaves are large and matte green.
Handsome as a specimen, this tall shrub also has possibilities as a hedge
or the wall of a garden "room." It takes a couple of years to
settle, then starts reaching for the sky. Older plants may have dozens of stems
and hundreds of flowers. Native to open woods in the mountains of SE Xizang
(Tibet), this treasure is threatened by over-collection of its roots for
medicine. It is named for the English botanist Frank Ludlow (d. 1972), who
hunted plants in Tibet and the Himalaya with George Sherriff. Our plants are from hand-pollinated
garden seeds. At bottom left here you see it in the wild near Nyingchi in
SE Xizang, where we visited relict populations during our Peonies
of China 2006 study-tour. Award of Garden Merit
(Royal Horticultural Society) 1993 (as P. delavayi var. ludlowii).
Height to 3.5 m (11'). Zone 6.
4-year-old plants. $65.00 |
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Photographs © Paige Woodward |
Paeonia
mairei H. Lévéillé. 美丽芍药
Mei li shao yao (Chinese).
Single flowers, pink to rose with a golden boss, bloom at the tips of the
branches in April-June. The stems are ruddy, like rhubarb. The leaves are dark green above and paler
beneath; they have 3 leaflets; the
bottom pair often has 2 segments while the top leaflet may have one to
occasionally several. Named for the French botanist René
Charles Joseph Ernest Maire (1878-1949). Native to
deciduous forests across SW China, at an altitude of 1500-2700 m
(4500-8850'). Very shade-tolerant. Height to
about 1 m (3'). Zone 6.
Not available this year. |
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Photograph © Galen Burrell |
Paeonia mascula
(L.) Mill.
subsp. arietina (G. Anderson) Cullen & Heywood.
Arietina means "like a ram's head," presumably a reference to
the large, curved carpels. Flowers of a beautiful deep red, up to 12
cm (4.5") across, with red filaments and golden anthers, bloom in May
above grey-green, biternate leaves that have fuzzy undersides.
"Probably the most refined of the mascula group, with more and
smaller leaflets." ~ Galen Burrell. Native to southeastern Europe and
Asia Minor. Our plants are from hand-pollinated seeds. Easy in humus,
given part-day shade. Height to 75 cm (30"). Zone 6.
Year-old plants. $25.00 |
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| Paeonia
mascula
(L) Mill. subsp. russoi (Bivona-Bernardi)
Cullen
& Heywood. Violet-pink flowers
~ about 10 cm (4") across, with white or pink filaments ~ bloom in
May above grey-green, biternate leaves with elliptical leaflets that are
fuzzy underneath and matte on top. Long known as P. corallina var.
pubescens.
Sometimes treated
as P. russoi, and sometimes spelled "russii;"
named for the Sicilian botanist Father Joachim Russo of the Dominican
monastery at Monte Cassino. Native
to the Mediterranean region ~ mostly islands ~ from Spain to
western Greece. Our plants are from seeds collected wild in Sardinia.
Prefers part shade. Height to 35 cm (14"). Zone
6.
Not available this season. |
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Paeonia mlokosewitschii |
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Photograph © Galen Burrell |
Paeonia obovata
Maximowicz. 草芍药
Cao shao yao (Chinese);
ベニバナヤマシャクヤク
Benibana
yama shiyakuyaku
(Japanese) The blue-green leaves are rounded and matte.
At the tip of each
branch is a single, exquisite, cup-shaped flower, rose-pink in our
plants (though the species includes white and rose) and up to 12 cm (4.5")
across. The flowers are followed by seedheads like mediaeval jewels (please click
on our photograph). Native to broadleaf and conifer forests in China, Japan, Korea and the
Russian Far East. Red-listed in Russia. Height 30-70 cm (12-28"). Zone 6. Award
of Garden Merit (Royal Horticultural Society) 1993. 3-year-old plants from wild seed of pink-flowered plants on Mt. Fuji. Flowers likely to be pink. $66.00 Flowering-size plants from Japan. Flowers rose-pink. $100.00 |
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Photograph © Galen Burrell |
Paeonia obovata
subsp. willmottiae
(Stapf.) D.Y. Hong & K.Y. Pan.草芍药
Ni cao shao yao (Chinese). Miss
Willmott's peony. This is our favorite. "One of the finest
Paeonies in existence." ~ F.C. Stern. It differs from P. obovata in
that its flowers are always white, it is larger and more robust, its leaves are
always hairy on the
underside, and its range is more restricted. Native to broadleaf
forests in west-central China. Named for Ellen Willmott (d. 1934), who
raised this plant for her garden at Warley Place, Essex, from seed sent to
her from Hubei by the planthunter E.H. Wilson. Height 30-70 cm (12-28"). Zone 6.
Not available this year. |
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Paeonia potaninii |
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| Paeonia potaninii var. trollioides | |
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Photographs © Galen Burrell |
Paeonia
'Pippi' progeny. NO
LONGER AVAILABLE. This description is left on the Internet in
memoriam.
We focus on species, but these daurica subsp. mlokosewitschii hybrids from our friend Galen Burrell were so breathtaking that (once oxygen was restored to our brains) we knew we had to offer them to you, and we were able to do so through autumn 2005. Open-pollinated seedlings of his cultivar 'Pippi', they all had the mouth-watering mloko trait of leaves that open red to purple and very gradually become greener. The flower color varied; often it was rose-red. The plants were not always identical to those shown here, but they were always extremely attractive, with intense anthocyanin coloring. Those who bought them probably still purr every time they look at them. They were hardy to Zone 5. But these plants are no longer available. Galen says he has lost his original plant of 'Pippi.' We have a mature division of 'Pippi,' but so far she has not borne seeds. |
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Photograph © Galen Burrell
Photograph © Paige Woodward |
Paeonia rockii
(S.G. Haw &
Lauener) T.Hong & J.J. Li subsp. rockii. Rock's tree peony, Flare peony.
紫斑牡丹
Ziban mudan (Chinese). This is the real thing, the legendary white peony
species with
maroon blotches at the base of its petals. Its flowers ~ one per stem ~
are the largest in the genus, up to 19 cm (7.5") across, and fragrant.
Paeonia rockii is native to
open broadleaf and mixed forests, thickets and shady slopes in China's Gansu, Henan,
Hubei and Shaanxi provinces. It is sometimes found growing on limestone,
but does not require alkaline soil. There are two subspecies; this one has
longer, coarser leaflets that are mostly not lobed. Height
to 1.8 m (6'). Zone 6.
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Photographs © John Filkins
Photograph © Paige Woodward |
Paeonia rockii
subsp. atava (Brühl)
D. Y. Hong & K. Y. Pan. Rock's tree peony, Flare peony.
太白山紫斑牡丹
Taibaishan ziban mudan (Chinese). This
subspecies has finer, rounder leaflets that are mostly lobed; it has
also been called var. linyanshanii and subsp. taibaishanica. Our plants are from
hand-pollinated seeds of parents grown from wild seeds. The flowers should
be white to pale pink with beautiful dark flares. At left you see a wild
plant and its habitat in a reserve on Mount Taibai in China's Shaanxi province.
The photographs were taken during our Peonies
of China 2005 study-tour. We found scattered young plants hidden in
the underbrush, but just this one mature plant in bloom. Mature plants are
hard to find in the wild now, even in "protected" areas, thanks
to over-collecting of the roots for use in traditional medicine.
4-year-old plants from wild seeds. $90.00 |
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| Paeonia ruprechtiana | |
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| Paeonia steveniana | |
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Photographs © Pat Woodward |
Paeonia tenuifolia
Linnaeus. Rock peony. Fern-leaf peony.
We have offered this small form with very finely dissected leaves
before as P. tenuifolia subsp. lithophila Kotov. The species
is native
to a wide swathe from Bulgaria to Georgia. Our plants descend from
material collected in the E Crimea. The leaves are more finely cut than in
other forms we have seen, resembling green marabou. (OK, out with it.
Until they bloom, they look like small green lapdogs, or possibly
Muppets.) The flowers are blood-red with golden filaments and anthers;
they bloom in
March-April with us. Height about 30 cm (12"). Zone 6. Flowering-size plants. $85.00 |
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| Paeonia veitchii var. woodwardii | |
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| Paeonia wittmanniana | |
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PEONY
RESOURCES
At the moment, the best single public source of information about peonies is Project Peony, the compendious, ever-expanding, library-like website of our friend Dr. Carsten Burkhardt. You will find all Hong Deyuan's papers listed there, for example, and copies of some of them. We also recommend these resources:
Three books, so far published only in Chinese, will interest many peony lovers who don't read that language; a great deal can be gleaned by simply looking at the pictures.
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| Return to Plants Index Return to Trees & Shrubs Return to Perennials | |
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| This page was updated March 11, 2008 | |
