Paeonia Caucasica

Description

Sumptuous, open, bowl-shaped goblets of intense rosy-red to red-pink flowers open in April on thick, extraordinarily red stems, and later come the three-horned fruits which open to reveal infertile red and fertile purple-blue seeds. This Eastern variety of the mascula complex from the Caucasus & Georgia has decorative sage-coloured leaves that lack hairs, the undersides being shiny purple-red. In the wild it is frequently found growing on limestone soils with good drainage.

Sowing Advice

Sow at any time covering with compost or grit half an inch deep. Keep moist in a cold spot outside as peonies are very slow to germinate, sometimes taking up to two years to appear. Do not use artificial heat as this may simply kill them. As a rule they just make an underground root the first year, shoots appearing above ground in year two. Grow on seedlings in 3” pots and finally plant out in good garden soil. Never discard the seed tray until the seedlings appear.

Key Facts