Comments on: Woodland Peonies, a walk on the wild side

By: Shade-loving Japanese peony casts a spell | csmonitor.com

Shade-loving Japanese peony casts a spell | csmonitor.com — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:42:43 +0000

[...] perfect plump bud to the aristocratic full blown blossoms in mid- to late April, the shade-loving Paeonia japonica (Japanese peony) is the peony which has captivated and held me under her spell for [...]

By: ilana

ilana — Fri, 23 May 2008 03:50:11 +0000

Hi Leslie -

So I have this gorgeous tree peony that I picked up an IES plant sale when they still had them (the sales, and the peonies). It was a stunner this year, but a large branch broke off, both old wood and new. Do you know any way to propagate tree peonies from cuttings?

Thanks – and I hope Trade Secrets this year was amazing and inspiring.

By: leslie

leslie — Sat, 17 May 2008 01:17:30 +0000

Hi Robin

I should think not – two are 2 better than none but multiplying by 10 (or 100) sounds about right to me.

Hope you do get a chance to prepare a peony bed… why not try ordering now for fall delivery, to be sure of getting the beauties so often in short supply? Knowing they’re on their way is bound to be a powerful incentive to get out there and get digging.

By: Robin

Robin — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:43:37 +0000

Oh gees, two plants are *not* filling the craving.

By: Robin

Robin — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:41:32 +0000

Once the garden is planted (before the successions start!) and the seedling house is empty and the barn has new siding and…. ok, well, soon… I need to turn over a long strip of the lawn for peonies. Two plants are filling my craving. They are beautiful, aren’t they.

By: leslie

leslie — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:50:52 +0000

Hi Margaret

It would sure be a poorer world if plant sex didn’t produce all these interesting bastards. It was that notable red suffusion that made me think the plants might be different, but now that I think about it more the difference between your leaves and mine is certainly smaller than the difference between magenta and primrose!

Hope to see you tomorrow in what I hope isn’t still the pouring rain.

By: Margaret Roach

Margaret Roach — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:35:56 +0000

I am blaming this all on sex: peony sex. I think these plants all just have sex all the time when we’re not out there watching, and this is what results.
Now being the freak I am I just went out in the pouring rain after seeing your post and cut off a branch of my similar-but-different plant and brought it in to the computer (not wanting to bring the computer out in the rain, you see). The verdict: Except that mine is suffused w/more red, it’s very similar.
If we introduced them and they fell in love, who knows what we’d get next generation?
P.S., I will be working the booth of Loomis Creek Nursery tomorrow at Trade Secrets so do say hello if you are there!