Seneca Hill Perennials

If you haven't grown species peonies before, you need to know that these are not the same as the garden hybrids with which everyone is familar. They are slow-growing and sometimes finicky about siting. Each has its own cultural requirements - don't make the mistake of lumping them in with your garden hybrids in that regard. They have single and typically short-lived flowers, and some go dormant quite early in the growing season. Some are susceptible to foliar fungi.

That said, we find them quite thrilling. It's always exciting (for us, anyway) to look at a P. mlokosewitschii and imagine it growing wild in the Caucasus, or know that the forebears of our P. veitchii bloomed somewhere in China - and they're beautiful plants. You just have to be patient with them.

And while we're on the theme of patience, we want to point out that this year we're offering a lot of second-year seedlings (plants that germinated in early 2008 and so have grown for one full season). These are relatively inexpensive, but they're also small. In the case of herbaceous species, you can expect these to produce two to three leaves in 2010. The job of the leaves is to bulk up the root system as rapidly as possible. The longer you can keep them in leaf, the larger the root system. Building up these reserves allows them to produce a more respectable plant in 2011, and by 2012 you may see a flower. We are doing this because peonies don't much like life in pots, and the longer we keep them here and bulk them up for you, the fewer we have and the more we have to charge. We're now offering some of them young, small, and cheap, and in each case we are telling you the age of the plants you're buying.

Paeonia cambessedesii

Endemic to the Balearic Islands, and one the most desirable of the species peonies, P. cambessedesii forms a low clump of glossy, leathery leaves, somewhat rugose and suffused with purplish tones. The large deep pink flowers (to 10cm/4in across) are held just above the foliage. Slow to develop from seed; these second-year seedlings will not bloom for several more years. Protect from winter wetness.

Paeonia emodi

From the western Himalayas, growing at up to 3000m/9750ft, comes this sublime species, with slightly nodding snowy white flowers, several to the stem, held well above glossy deeply-cut leaves. It is often described as quite tender, but we have not found it so, and we do not give it any protection beyond what our excellent snow cover affords. Our larger plants are entering their third year in 2010; our smaller ones, their second.

Paeonia mascula coll. Bayburt, Turkey

A Jurasek collection from Bayburt, Turkey, at 2000m, and we have no further information about it. The leaves do not match those of P. mascula subsp. arietina, and several other subspecies occur in Turkey, so we will have to await maturity to make an ID. Fourth-year plants.

Paeonia mascula subsp. arietina

A particular favorite here, this Turkish subspecies has distinctive coarsely-cut leaves and holds its bright rose-red flowers well above the foliage. We find it to be a vigorous grower and reliable bloomer when sited in full sun with good drainage. These plants are from seed from our garden plants, themselves wild collections. Second- and third-year plants in 2010 (we ship the largest we have when we fill your order).

Paeonia mascula subsp. arietina coll. Kaz Dag, Turkey

A wild collection of this, our favorite subspecies of P. arietina, collected in Turkey on Kaz Dag at 1600m. These sturdy 4th-year plants should bloom in one or two years.

Paeonia mascula subsp. arietina coll. Sivas, Turkey

A wild collection of one of our favorite species, from Sivas, Turkey. This is a gorgeous species and an excellent "doer" in the sunny, well-drained garden.Third-year plants in 2010.

Paeonia mascula subsp. russoi

Native from Greece to the islands of the western Mediterranean but concentrated in Sicily, this is a handsome small stocky peony with characteristically firm, glossy leaves suffused with reddish tones. The stems are also reddish, and the flowers, to 10cm/4in in diameter, are deep pink. Its range does not suggest great hardiness, but one of our customers and plant buddies assures us it grows and blooms in his zone 5 garden. Our garden plants survive, but grow very slowly. Third-year plants in 2010; juust a handful available.

Paeonia mascula subsp. triternata

(P. daurica) One of the most beautiful foliage peonies, the leaves emerging a glaucous grey-green suffused with pink, and retaining their distinctive undulations as they mature. The large, open, full-petaled rose-pink flowers echo the pinkish tones that persist on the stems. These are seedling descendants of a wild collection from the Crimea. Third-year plants in 2010.

Paeonia mlokosewitschii

The popular but somewhat frustrating Molly the Witch - popular because everyone anticipates a clear yellow flower, frustrating because, between natural variation and hybridization, which occurs even in the wild, the flowers may actually be cream, yellow, or even pink-flushed. The parents of these plants are good yellows, but because they are from garden seed we do not guarantee that alien genes will not have crept in. All have the characteristic handsome biternate blue-green leaves. Third-year plants in 2010; just a handful available. We should have lots more ready to ship in spring 2011.

Paeonia obovata

A handsome east Asian species with slightly rugose foliage and large open rose-pink flowers. These are second-year plants, and as this is a slow-growing species they will be small.

Paeonia obovata var. alba

An old garden strain of P. obovata, with upward-facing lightly cupped flowers of purest white. We love this plant, but find it does not love us as well as some. It tends to build up a clump of several stems, then go gently downhill, unlike, say, the nearby P. mlokosewitschii, which has maintained a fine size over the years. We think it may have too much root competition, and will try some of our seedlings in cushier spots next year. This is a slow grower, so these second-year plants are small

Paeonia officianalis subs. banatica

A variant of P. officianalis distinguished from P. officianalis subsp. officianalis by a difference in leaf shape (only the central leaflet is deeply divided) and hailing from the Banat region (the intersection of the borders of Hungary, Yugoslavia and Romania). Not surprisingly, this species, the parent of many hybrids, is one of easiest species peonies in the garden. Ours are from seed generously shared by Graham Ware and descended from a Halda collection. Halda describes the flowers as "large" and "light red". Our photo is of P. officianalis subsp. officianalis.

Paeonia officianalis subsp. officianalis

Widespread in cultivation for hundreds of years, and the parent of many fine hybrids, P. officianalis subsp. officianalis has leaves deeply cut into numerous segments and large rose-red flowers, to 13cm/5in across. Ours are descended from collections made on Monte Baldo. Third-year plants in 2010.

Paeonia ostii (more or less)

The plant exported from China as Fen Dan Bai, used in traditional medicine; but a handsome garden plant, being essentially a slightly ruffled single white tree peony. These are seedlings of our own plants, one of which has pure white flowers, the other of which has a slight pinkish basal flush.

Paeonia peregrina from garden seed

A spectacular late-blooming species, with waxy, cupped, purest red flowers (no shades of pink here) centered by a boss of golden stamens. The foliage is deeply divided and somewhat glossy. Much used historically in peony breeding. Second- and third-year plants in 2010 (we ship the largest we have when we fill your order).

Paeonia, rockii type, pink

Just for fun….these are robust seedlings of a gorgeous plant that we raised from seed over a decade ago, and that utterly floored us by growing into a fine shrub laden with huge, lazily ruffled, bright pink flowers with deep maroon basal blotches. Who knew? The only seedling of this plant that we've bloomed is pink like its mom, but with much more strongly ruffled petals. No guarantees, but there's no reason these seedlings shouldn't all make good plants, and it really is exciting to watch that first mysterious bud fatten and burst. Second-(smaller pots) and third-year (larger pots) plants in 2010.

Paeonia tenuifolia subsp. lithophila

Seedlings of garden plants received many years ago as coming from seed collected in Dobruzhda, Romania, these plants have the typical finely dissected foliage and saturated red flower of the species. Very slow-growing, even for a peony, but sturdy. Unlike many peonies, this species likes full sun and sharp drainage. Third-year seedlings in 2010, these will be small.

Paeonia turcica

Second-year seedlings (2009) of this rare Turkish species, which Halda classifies as P. mascula subsp. kesrouanensis. The Turkish populations occur in southwest Turkey (the others are in Syria and Lebanon), so would not be expected to be especially hardy. The flowers are described by the collector as "deep violet-red". Collected at Baba Dag, Turkey, 1100m/3575ft. Third-year plants in 2010.

Paeonia veitchii

The handsome Asian cousin of P. anomala, with slightly nodding, slightly frilled pink to rose-pink flowers held gracefully above the cut foliage. We have had this plant from many sources, and been disappointed with a lot of what we grew; but we have reduced our collection to two big, vigorous, free-blooming plants, and those are the parents of what we sell. Second-year seedlings in 2009.

Paeonia veitchii, pale pink

Seedlings of a pretty plant that was supposed to be white-flowered, but instead bloomed a delicate shade of pink. Third-year plants in 2010.

Paeonia wittmanniana

These are seedlings from garden plants, one of which has the classic creamy-yellow goblets of P. wittmaniana, the other of which has creamy-yellow flowers with a faint rosy basal blush. This is an exquisite species that has been easy and free-blooming here. Second-year seedlings in 2010.