Paeonia lactiflora Blushing Princess

Paeonia ‘Blushing Princess’ is a charming peony with elegant, large semi-double flowers in a tender pearly pink that fades almost to white. This hybrid variety created by Saunders in 1948 is distinguished by its lovely fragrance and its early and abundant flowering. The plant forms a large, well-balanced clump of foliage that showcases the flowering. This beautiful plant is robust and very hardy.

Peony ‘Blushing Princess’ belongs to the Paeoniaceae family. It is an interspecific hybrid obtained by American hybridiser A.P. Saunders, the result of a cross between Paeonia lactiflora — native to the steppes and clearings of Central Asia (Siberia, northern China, Mongolia) — and Paeonia macrophylla, a rarer species endemic to the Caucasus, valued for its large ornamental foliage. This cultivar, introduced in the 1940s, was officially registered in 1991 by Caprice Farm Nursery. It is characterised by its early flowering and especially the delicacy of its very fragrant, semi-double flowers. Peony ‘Blushing Princess’ forms a dense clump with a rounded habit, growing quite slowly. It reaches 80 to 90cm, sometimes up to 1m in height, with a spread of 60 to 80cm. Flowering can begin as early as mid-May, depending on the climate. It lasts about 3 weeks and sometimes extends until mid-June. The 15 to 18 cm wide flowers are borne on sturdy stems, which may need light staking in rain. Each flower has a centre of petaloids and yellow stamens. The foliage consists of large leaves divided into ovate to lanceolate, dark green, glossy leaflets. The stems are light green to reddish, depending on exposure. The above-ground vegetation of this peony is deciduous: it dries up in autumn and emerges from the ground in spring. The root system consists of thick, deeply anchored tuberous roots, storing the energy needed for annual growth. This structure gives it some resistance to dry summers, provided the soil remains moist at depth.

Undeniably charming, Peony ‘Blushing Princess’ has its place in a romantic setting. Plant it in the middle of a border, alone or in small groups of 3 to 5 plants. To accompany it, choose, for example, groundcover roses in pastel colours and rustic perennials like peach-leaved bellflower. This peony will also add to the supply of flowers for bouquets in the vegetable garden. Growing 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.

Peonies have always been at the heart of gardens. In the past, whether modest or more elaborate, large or small, every garden saw generous clumps of flowers appear in spring, whose cheerful armfuls naturally found their place in the home, as simple and charming bouquets.