Paeonia lactiflora Big Ben

Paeonia lactiflora 'Big Ben' is a robust herbaceous peony that is easy to grow and performs well in hot climates. Its large, fully double flower, frothing with fuchsia-red petals, diffuses a very pleasant sweet scent. Carried on sturdy stems, they dominate abundant medium green foliage. Easy to succeed with in most regions, and very hardy, peonies thrive in any rather moist soil, in the sun. Robust and faithful, they sometimes take a little time to establish themselves, but they grow year after year and can live for more than 50 years.

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

The variety Big Ben, introduced in 1943 in the USA, is still highly appreciated for its performance in the garden. From spring onwards the plant forms a herbaceous and bushy clump that can reach 90 cm (35in) in all directions. Its large flowers, 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8in) in diameter, very double, appear in May at the beginning of the peony season,  earlier or later depending on the climate, and last for about two weeks. They emerge in the form of a large dark red bud. In this variety, the flower displays a heart made up of small frilly petals surmounting a collar of wider and slightly larger petals. Their colour is vibrant: a very bright fuchsia-red, with pink tints accentuated by the texture of the petals, very shiny. The growth of this variety is vigorous, and it forms stiff stems, strong enough to support the weight of the flowers. The young purple and shiny foliage unfolds into large, fairly dark green, deeply cut leaves. They are carried on a petiole that divides into 3, with lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate segments. The leaflets are entire or sometimes lobed. They disappear in winter, while the buds that will develop in spring persist at ground level. This long-lived perennial plant grows from a large fleshy root that does not appreciate being moved.

Peonies are among those plants that form the foundation of a garden. Not so long ago every garden, from the most modest to the most elaborate, proudly displayed clumps of peonies covered with fragrant flowers that made their way into the house, keeping company in bouquets with purple lilacs and blue campanulas. Brilliant and luscious, the Chinese peony Big Ben thrives in flowerbeds or alongside pathways, in combination with timeless perennials such as columbines, bellflowers, foxgloves, bearded irises, carnations, or Christmas roses. It can also be grown in the vegetable garden to supply cut flowers for the house. Growing it in a pot 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.