Paeonia lactiflora Break O Day

Paeonia lactiflora Break O Day carries a huge, 'Japanese' shaped, original and contrasting flower. It is composed of a single, soft fuchsia pink corolla, illuminated by a frilly heart of pink-red colour, intermingled with golden filaments. The carpels, visible in the centre of the flower, are variegated with gold and red, which makes it very ornamental even at the end of flowering. This medium-sized variety is a hardy and very floriferous plant, as beautiful in all styles of flowerbed as it is spectacular in bouquets.

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

The Break O Day variety is an American horticultural creation dating back to 1947, credited to A. L. Murawska, who specialised in peonies of the so-called "Japanese" shape. The plant forms a herbaceous and bushy clump from spring, reaching about 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28in) in all directions. Its large flowers, 20 cm (8in) in diameter, appear in May for about two to three weeks. They emerge as a large, dark red bud. Their architecture is characteristic: they are single flowers, with the stamens transformed into petaloids (small petals), forming a more imposing, tousled-looking heart. The colour of the flower is a soft magenta pink, slightly more intense at the variegated yellow-gold heart. The fragrance of these flowers is subtle. The growth of this variety is vigorous and its flowers last a long time in a vase. The young, purple and shiny foliage unfolds into large, finely cut, medium green 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 very 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. In the past every garden, from the humblest to the most elaborate, proudly displayed clumps of peonies that made their way into the house, keeping  lilacs and bluebells company in bouquets. Bright and fleshy, the Chinese peony Break O Day thrives in flowerbeds or alongside pathways, associated 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.

Quality: 3/5 eyes, sold individually in pots.