Paeonia lactiflora Felix Crousse

The Felix Crousse Peony (Paeonia lactiflora) is one of the easy-to-grow peonies that bloomed faithfully in old gardens, providing beautiful flowers for borders as well as casual bouquets. Surviving passing trends and the whims of time, this grand classic is still beloved for the abundance and beauty of its large, double flowers, glossy, of an intense and rich carmine pink, finely edged with silver on the petals. In this variety the beauty of the flowers is accompanied by a subtle fragrance and sturdy stems that hold up well in the garden and in vases. Easy to grow, Chinese Peonies thrive in loose, moist soil and prefer full sun. Robust and reliable, they sometimes take a little time to establish, but they grow year after year and can live for over 50 years, even outlasting the one who planted them.

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 family of Ranunculaceae or Paeoniaceae.

The Felix Crousse variety is an old French cultivar dating back to 1881, awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society in England. The plant forms a herbaceous and bushy clump from spring onwards, moderately dense, reaching 80 cm (32in) in all directions. Its very large double flowers appear rather late, in May-June depending on the climate, lasting for about three weeks. They appear at the ends of the stems but some also as secondary buds. They emerge as a large dark pink bud and then open into a skillfully disordered pompom set in the centre of a crown of larger, flat petals, of the same vibrant pink-red hue. The centre of the flower is darker, and the edges of the petals are edged with silver. The foliage of this variety is good and has remarkable longevity. The young purple and glossy foliage unfolds into large dark green, deeply dissected leaves. They are borne on a petiole that divides into 3, with lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate segments. The leaflets are entire or sometimes lobed. The vegetation disappears in winter, while the buds persist at ground level and will develop in spring. 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. 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. Opulent and generous, beautifully fragrant, the Felix Crousse Chinese peony will thrive 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.

By combining different varieties with staggered flowering times, it is possible to have flowers for 6 weeks from spring to early summer.