HERBACEOUS PEONIES - These are either lactiflora or hybrids (lactiflora x species) - they grow to about 1 m in height when they have their leaves on in spring through autumn and are cut off to ground level each late autumn/winter and re-shoot the following spring and then come in to leaf and then flower - usually after Melbourne Cup.

TREE PEONIES - divided by me into six catagories - all have woody stems and are deciduous - they flower from early Septemeber to the end of October. The easiest group to grow are the old, hardy, reliable varieties known in Australian gardens for many years.

GROUP 1

Etienne de France (Australian name for an old Chinese cultivar)

Destiny (Australian name for a hardy seedling plant grown for 150 years here)

Rimpo (NOT the real Japanese double) the single type sold here as Rimpo

Also P. Ostii (white Chinese single released in the last five years in Australia)

GROUP 2

American and French Hybrid Cultivars (grafts and divisions available)

GROUP 3

Japanese Suffruticosa Named Cultivars (usually grafted)

GROUP 4

Chinese Suffruticosa Named Cultivars - Pinyin and Chinese characters with English translations are being prepared to add to the website.

GROUP 5

Advanced Generation Hybrids (grafted)

GROUP 6

P. Rockii and its cultivars are slowly being released on to the Australian market - Rockii cultivars are distinguished by "flares" which had led to the erroneous assumption that "Destiny" was a seedling of Rockii.

INTERSECTIONAL HYBRIDS

Hybrid between herbaceous and tree peony - first achieved by Mr Toichi Ito of Japan in 1948. Subsequent hybrids developed in USA and Europe - I imported 16 cultivars in 2002 and am growing them on but they are not yet available in commercial quantities.

Back to home page Home