| Athena - (Saunders 1949) Some describe this as an ivory colored single hybrid but in some years it has a definite apricot buff color when first opening. At the base of each petal is an attractive rosy-lilac flare. It has a light fragrance and the blooms are held on a medium size bush. Excellent disease resistant plants establish quickly, forming a full clump. One of the earliest to bloom. 30" tall. A quad hybrid it has 4 different species involved in its parentage; P. lactiflora, macrophylla, mlokosewitschii, and officinalis. Its' downfall? In years like 2005 when the winter was very open without snow cover and many freeze and thaws cycles during a very wet spring I saw the plants reduced to half their previous years size. Despite this you can see by the date of introduction that the plant endures.
Bright Knight (Glasscock 1939) This large flowered single is red with an orange cast, extra early, very large blooms on strong stiff stems with dark green foliage. A strong grower with huge roots. The huge roots being the challenge to produce saleable divisions that don't weigh 5 pounds and have all their eyes clustered at the top of the one enormous root. An added bonus for plant breeders is that this plant has produced fertile seeds on occasion. 37" tall.
Buckeye Belle - (Mains 1956) This deep mahogany red, almost black, semi-double is a superb garden peony as well as a wonderful cut flower. It has fantastic foliage for a hybrid and blooms very early. The cup shaped flowers have a bright gold center accent. Unlike some hybrids it will not produce growing buds from broken root pieces unless it has a portion of the crown attached. It does not come apart easily and you have to work for the divisions carefully to end up with roots and shoots as the roots form a tight compact mass. 34" tall stems. A 2009 Award of Landscape Merit winner it's demand is expected to exceed supply for a number of years.
Campagna - (Saunders 1941) A single brilliant starch white hybrid with goblet shaped bloom, green shadows at the base of the petals and no pink tones. The petals canm be slightly fringed and crinkled. A triple hybrid it's parentage includes P. lactiflora x (officinalis x macrophylla). Divisions are very easy to make, but each club shaped root typically has only one bud at the top and it is difficult to get a 3-5 eye division that most gardeners want. You might ask what is so special about this white single flowered peony? It has a very early bloom period and it's lack of pink makes it one of the very whitest peonies you will ever find. The bush is compact at less than 30" tall.
Claire de Lune (White 1954) A 10 petaled single pale yellow flower is a collectors item as it is a cross of the pink bomb Mons Jules Elie and the yellow flowered species, P. mlokosewitschii . The only seedling from over 4,000 pollinations. Some note its fragrance no doubt coming from the pod parent. Very early blooming on 28 -32" stems. The flowers are held upright. Not the stunning bright yellow color that some of the intersectional hybrids have but unlike that group for the peony breeder it has produced some very worthwhile seedlings. It does not grow into a massive clump that provides many divisions so it is always on the short list of most growers. Besides that it takes a t least two seasons for it to build up itself before putting on a grand bloom show.
Coralie - (Saunders 1940) A rarely found Saunders hybrid with glowing coral pink color on a single crinkled bloom. This is a "lobata of Perry" hybrid that carries genes for the fantastic bright coral colors that were unknown in the Chinese peonies that form the backbone of most garden peonies. Earlier blooming it is an outstanding addition to the border. Parents were Saunders 1302 and P. lobata. Most interesting are the very large flower buds that look like a toy top before opening. It is a favorite since a visiting garden expert corrected me when I told her the big strange pink colored poppy in my peony field was indeed a peony. Her response was , "I know a peony when I see one!" and with that left the nursery shaking her head. (I hope she came back to enjoy all the later blooming varieties of unusual shaped and colored peonies.) But besides that it is quite a dramatic large single pink flower. This is one plant whose intensity of bloom color seems to be effected by the soil type. Those friends who grow it on clay soils seem to have even brighter colored blooms than on our sandy fields.
Which brings me to an important observation. So far all of the plants mentioned do extremely well on sandy soils. In older peony literature gardeners were discouraged from growing peonies on sandy soil. This old advise may have had more to do with the low fertility associated with sandy soils and the limited use of fertilizers in those days. The inherent good drainage of sandy soil seems to benefit all these hybrids. The plants do benefit from additional fertilizer and additional organic matter in the form of compost or peat moss mixed at about 1 part organic matter for each 3 parts of sandy soil.
Diana Parks - (Bockstoce 1942) What's not to like about a big, fragrant, bomb shaped brilliant, glittering carmine red bloom with just a hint of orange undertones. This hybrid peony with tall 42" dark green leaved stems are great for cutting. It is quite late blooming for a hybrid which makes it desirable.
Earlybird - (Saunders 1939) Imagine a dwarf plant 15-20" tall, with abundant, single bright crimson flowers above fern leaf foliage. This hybrid between the fern leaf peony P. tenuifolia and P. veitchii woodwardii, blooms very early, usually blooming before the fern-leaf peony. The flowers face sideways like the P. veitchii parent. It is in bloom in our area at the same time as our flowering crabapples and makes a wonderful under planting on the sunny side of the tree to contrast with the white flowers. It's delicate beauty is etched in my mind as I see this plant bloom every spring in front of our crabapple tree. Like many small plants in a group that are normally dominated by bigger sized and flowered representatives the demand for this very early flowering charmer is undeservedly low. The finely cut foliage adds interest all season long and if I could only grow 10 peonies this would be one of them.
Etched Salmon - (Cousins 1981) Salmon pink fully double antique rose form hybrid. Fragrant with very strong stems. Single flower per stem. Early midseason, 36". I started out with a small root and my plant is still small. I moved it recently to another part of the garden with less root competition and hope for better growth. If you have ever seen it at a flower show or in a garden you will know why it is on this list of collectable peonies. The soft salmon pink coloration of the flower is undeniably beautiful.
Firelight - (Saunders 1950) This unique "quad hybrid" involves four species peonies; lactiflora x ((officinalis x (mlokosewitschi x macrophylla)) in it's background and although it is a vigorous growing plant it does not make many stems, so that it is slow to propagate. It blooms early, and the unusual pattern , single pale pink flower with dark raspberry red flares at petal base make it a worthwhile collectable. 26" tall.
Goldilocks - (Gilbertson 1975) Most unusual color and double form for a hybrid this light yellow hybrid blooms as a full double bomb shaped flower early-midseason with 2 side buds to extend it's bloom. It has some usable pollen and has produced a few seeds too. Medium height with strong stems and a spreading bush with foliage that stays nice all season long. It is an unusual cross of Oriental Gold and Claire de Lune.
Golden Glow -(Glasscock 1935) This hybrid is a brilliant scarlet with orange undertones, and a mass of pure gold stamens. Blooms are held cup shaped and grows tall with extremely heavy and sturdy stems. The foliage is large and dark green.
Helen Matthews - (Saunders/Kreckler 1953) This semi-double bright red hybrid has incredible garden presence. Not a very large growing plant it makes up for it in it vivid contrast between the dark green leaves and the bright red flowers.
Henry Bockstoce - (Bockstoce 1955) Early, enormous double red, tall, hybrid, lovely dark burgundy red with a rose center. Strong 32" stems but it should be supported in the garden as the flower opens. Very fragrant. Some gardeners have reported that it does not like wet soils at all which is not surprising as it seems that the hybrids are less tolerant of wet soil then the Lactiflora cultivars.
Illini Belle - (Glasscock 1941) Semi-double with 4 to five rows of brilliant dark red petals, a hybrid it blooms early and has a very large bush type habit.
Illini Warrior - (Auten 1955) Single red hybrid, early, 32" tall deep red colored blooms on strong supporting stems with dark green foliage, vigorous growing I advise you to keep it away from shy growing plants. I suppose it is not as popular as it could be because it is early blooming and a single. But in recent years these two qualities have been more popular with the sophisticated gardeners who want a dependable huge splash of vibrant color early and on stems that do not fall down.
John Harvard - (Auten 1939) A really stunning very dark red flower of unfading color. It can bloom as a single to a full double form and when first planted it takes a few years for the double form to show up more consistently. As an early blooming hybrid it has tall strong stems. For me it produces a wonderful mass of roots and most of the eyes closely clustered so that it is nearly impossible to divide easily so that I do not get many divisions.
Laddie - (Glasscock 1941) A real dwarf growing fern-leaf hybrid with bright red single flowers blooming very early. It's parents are P.peregrina x P. tenuifolia.
Lavender - (Saunders 1938) Single cup shaped flowers are really lavender. It seems to prefer very well drained soils with even moisture and does nont respond well to open snowless winters. I would list this in my top 10 if I could only have 10 peonies.
Lovely Rose - (Saunders 1942) I fell in love with this hybrid, semi-double, creamy rose pink flower the first time I saw it at an arboretum display. It has large flowers of a unique color and lovely habit of holding it's petals upright.
Ludovica -(Saunders 1941) Very large, semi-double clear rose pink hybrid. Rounded petals. Early blooming on a very compact spreading plant. If you dig it up it has quite small roots but produces great plants. It's small root size makes it difficult for customers to compare it to say a Raspberry Sundae root that has 4 times the mass for an equivalent division.
Mahogany - (Glasscock 1937) (lactiflora x lobata Otto Froebel) Single, large cup shaped deep mahogany red hybrid blooms very early. Sweetly fragrant, 28- 30". It has virtually no pollen as the stamens have been transformed into yellow petaloids. This is a positive character for those who don't like the shedding pollen to spoil the effect when used in a flower arrangement. The characteristic light, almost chartreuse green foliage has had more than one person seeing it in the display gardens ask if it needs a little more fertilizer.
Nadia - (Saunders 1941) Semi-double bright cherry red wide open bloom. Early, hybrid.
Nosegay - (Saunders 1950) Single salmon pink ivory colored flowers on compact cushion shaped plants. Very early to bloom. (P. mloko x tenuifolia)
Old Faithful - (Glasscock/Falk 1964) Hybrid double red with huge roots. Again the reason for slow distribution if this plant may be that it's very large roots make it impractical to grow on a commercial basis. It's strong stiff stem makes it a valuable early blooming cut flower variety and few cut flower growers want to give up even one piece of it.
Old Rose Dandy - (Lanning 1993) This intersectional hybrid is a cross of a tree peony and garden peony with a dusty old rose color. It is a vigorous grower and is perhaps overshadowed by the yellow flowered intersectional hybrids but I think this one will become more popular as this whole group of intersectional peonies become more available to gardeners.
Picotee - (Saunders 1949) Early blooming 24"tall plants carry a lovely single bloom of white with a distinct bright pink picotee edge. Red stems, large leaflets. This plant has been a slow grower for me but since I first saw it growing in a Canadian garden in Calgary I had to add it to my collection. It may actually grow better in a slightly warmer growing zone than here in Minnesota.
Prairie Moon - (Fay 1959) The large, soft creamy yellow, semi-double blooms have no other markings making this hybrid much sought after. Early blooming on 32" stems. Some claim it is one of the most beautiful of the hybrid peonies. The blooms are born on strong sturdy stems and are good in the garden or as a cut flower. The foliage is a bright glossy green and stays healthy until late fall. The plant can produce flowers that are single in form when first planted to semi-double once established or even a full double some years.
The next three are all fine dark red semi-doubles that are slower to increase and so are not widely distributed. And if I ask the general public they ooh and aah over them and then order the double hybrids like Red Charm or Diana Parks. Of course I am biased but I wouldn't pass up any of the following three beauties.
Red Ensign - (Auten 1940) Hybrid semidouble, very glossy brilliant red. Early.Mr. Auten produced and named a realtively large number of peonies that are well worth searching out. I think that often when a hybridizer does introduce a large number of plants even those that are quite high in quality it makes it difficult for people to select from such a large offering and slows down the distribution of some of their fine hybridizing work. p>
Red Glory - (Auten 1937) Semi-double red hybrid, very early bloom, tall, rich, brilliant uniform dark red. Very large five layered single. There is a classy look to many of Mr. Auten's introductions that make them so attractive to peony collectors. I seek out Auten varieties for my own garden and add them when I have the chance knowing that I may not come across them again for quite a while.
Rosedale - (Auten 1936) Semi double red hybrid, 19" early, Not the largest at a 4" bloom, but what a lovely bloom.
Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow - (Pehrson 1982) This single pale yellow hybrid has large flowers early in the bloom season on 30"strong stems. But for the peony collector it is a very fertile seed producer being a Quad hybrid x MoonriseF2. The foliage is a clean green color.
Salmon Dream - (Reath 1979) (Paula Fay x Moonrise) This is a wonderful fertile hybrid that produces pollen and seed. The semi-double flower is salmon pink on 30" stems. There are no adventitious buds so it is slower to increase which accounts for it's limited distribution.
Sophie - (Saunders 1940) Single cherry red hybrid of Kelways Glorious x lobata I had to have it because it has the same name as our daughter and like her it is both a delicate beauty and strong.
Summer Glow - (Hollingsworth 1992) Everybody wants to know what is that double yellow buff apricot hybrid growing in the middle of the row in the east field? This midseason bloomer has one advantage over the early bloomers in that people are out looking at peonies because they see them blooming in their own gardens. It is a hybrid of Lady Alexandra Duff x Claire de Lune produced by Don Hollingsworth. It's limited supply is due to slow increase which should not be confused with poor vigor. It has strong growth but few divisions.
Topeka Coral - (Bigger 1975) Double bomb type, coral pink hybrid, looks like an antique rose as it opens, one bud on a strong stem, but the flower is so huge it must be supported in the garden. Always attracts attention and is the most often asked about peony in our fields.
Your Majesty - (Saunders 1947) A very tall 48" grower each stem bears a large, single, vivid scarlet red bloom. A lactiflora x peregrina lobata hybrid. A strong grower but it increases slowly.
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