Paeonia 2011

[Gail]

I planted it in half shade, as I read from various sources that it was its preferred location, and that it lasted longer there than in full sun. However, I've seen another similar plant, bought by a friend at the same time from the same nursery, but planted in full sun. Her plant is already much more developped, and has nore shoots. So I'm wondering if I was right...what would you recommend?

The Windflower hybrids are really tough plants and will do fine wherever you plant them.  I've got a true P. emodi (from a Chris Chadwell seed collection) and find that more delicate.  I divided it last year and have half in the shade of an apple tree and the other half in a sunny spot by a young Judas tree - the one in the sunny spot is looking happier.  Cambridge Botanic Garden has one labelled P. emodi (although that is no guarantee it's true!) growing in full sun on their rock garden and that flowers very well (picture taken there a couple of years ago).
 

[Matt]

Hi Zephirine,

Also at Kew there are several plants labeled P. emodi. Those in the southern part of the Rock Garden probably are true. I am less sure about the HUGE clump in the Order Beds (in the attached photograph from 13 May 2010) that seems to me one of the Windflower hybrids. However they are all very successful in full sun.
Both true p. emodi and Late Windflower flower beautifully in full sun even in northern Italy. The leaves get scorched quite a lot by the sun from July onwards, although this doesn't seem at all to affect the vigor of the plants (as it does with all anomala complex , mairei & japonica/obovata species).

Matt

[Leena]

P.emodi is really lovely peony! I have only two two-year-old seedlings, so it will take couple of more years to see what they look like and if they are true P.emodi.

I have also a seedling of P.mascula ssp russoi var leiocarpa (what might be the current name of this peony?), and the seeds were bough from Germany couple of years ago but the origin is Kew gardens. I was wondering if anyone has a photo of this plant in Kew?

[Lukas H]

Here a true Paeonia emodi from the Chitral Region.

This one has mostly one flower each stem. After the first flower set is over, there comes the second one with a few axil flowers.

And in this plant the carpel is always one. i have only once seen two carpels.

Pictures were taken in the past years

[Lukas H]

On my balcony the first treepeony is now in flower. As always, Paeonia decomposita is the first.
This light colored form has white basal blotches. Very lovely form.

[Matt]

Hi to everybody,

A sunny day after a bit of rain...and the masculas start the season.

The white one was bough from an English nursery as P. mascula ssp. hellenica, although it seem to me only a daurica complex hybrid, especially looking at the leaves...a kind of P. x chamaeleon with very pale flowers. Any comments about this from the experts?

Matt

[christian pfalz]

On my balcony the first treepeony is now in flower. As always, Paeonia decomposita is the first.
This light colored form has white basal blotches. Very lovely form.

lukas, do you have seed from your decomposita ?
cheers
chris

[zephirine]

Thank you Gail, Matt and Lukas for your input regarding P emodi cultivation. I'll keep it in mind, and decide whether it is better to transplant it in full sun or not, after one ofr two years of observation ( I don't want to disturb it if I can avoid it...).
I just had one and only flower on this plant last year, and there was only one carpel...I'll know better (whether it is a true emodi or not) after my next visit to Hügin, I hope...

[Matt]

Paeonia papaveracea in flower today.
In reality it is not a proper species, only a blotched hybrid with probably some 'blood' of Paeonia rockii, that was wrongly given the status of species when it first arrived in Europe at the beginning of the 19th Century.
Matt

[fleurbleue]

So nice foliage Lukas !     

[Gail]

Beautiful Matt!

[Lesley Cox]

A gorgeous plant Matt and thank goodness for its parentage with rockii.

[Hoy]

Seems that all of you are ahead of me with your flowering peonies!
The first here is P mairei. It hasn't yet opened the flowers though.

P mairei this spring.




Just to show how the flowers are!

   

[Lukas H]

Hello Matt,

Thanks for post these beautiful pictures.

In my opinion the first one is a P. x chamaeleon.

The following pictures are of a white flowering Peony that is in my eyes a mascula subsp. hellenica.

Maybe Hans could help us...

Greetings

[Darren]

P. cambessedessii opened today

I wish I could claim credit for it but amazingly this was bought only a month ago from Rob Potterton, with 3 flower buds. A real bargain and it is a nice form too.