Paeonia lactiflora Primevere - Garden Peony

Paeonia lactiflora Primevere is a lovely herbaceous peony that bloomed in our great-grandparents' gardens. Its flowers, of a beautiful size and with anemone-like characteristics, are both delicate and intensely fresh, combining a corolla of a barely pinkish-white hue with a large, double, and ruffled centre where small, pearly, canary yellow petals are tightly packed, quickly fading into a very soft yellow. With this peony, the beauty of the flowers is accompanied by a pleasant fragrance reminiscent of roses. It blooms in May-June, in the middle of peony season. Very beautiful in flower beds, its blossoms are exquisite in bouquets.

Herbaceous peonies mainly come from Paeonia lactiflora, a perennial herbaceous plant native to central and eastern Asia (from eastern Tibet, northern China, to eastern Siberia), where it naturally grows in woods and meadows. This plant belongs to the Ranunculaceae or Paeoniaceae family.

The 'Primevere' variety was introduced in France in 1907 by Lemoine. The plant is robust and forms a solid herbaceous and bushy clump from spring onwards, reaching up to 90 cm (35in) in all directions. Its large flowers appear in the middle of peony season, from mid-May onwards, for about two weeks, each one living for 7 to 10 days. They emerge as large white buds, then open into white-pink corollas that quickly turn pure white. The stamens are transformed into small, fine, frizzy, translucent, and pearly petals, of a rather bright yellow that fade quickly. They occupy the centre of the flower and are accompanied by a few slightly longer and wider petals of pure white.  The young foliage, purple and shiny, unfolds into large, finely cut, bright green leaves. They are carried by a petiole that divides into 3, with lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate segments. The leaflets are entire or sometimes lobed. They disappear in winter.  This perennial plant grows from a large fleshy root that does not appreciate being moved.

Peonies are among those plants that constitute the foundation of a garden. In the past, every garden, from the humblest to the most elaborate, proudly displayed clumps covered in flowers that made their way into the house, keeping company in every bouquet with mauve lilacs and blue bellflowers. Opulent and generous, the Primevere peony thrives in flower beds or along paths, associated with timeless perennials such as columbines, bellflowers, foxgloves, carnations, or hellebores. It will also provide a supply of cut flowers for bouquets in the vegetable garden. Only cultivation in pots is not recommended, as its needs will not be met. Over time, the peony becomes majestic and blooms more and more abundantly, producing up to 60 flowers.