Paeonia lactiflora President Taft

The 'President Taft' Peony, also sold under the name 'Queen Hortense', is a very old variety derived from Paeonia lactiflora. While its abundant flowering is wildly romantic, its growth is vigorous and its rootstock very durable, qualities that have allowed it to withstand trends and stand the test of time. It is among the latest to bloom with large, highly fragrant, double and ruffled flowers in a very delicate powdery pink when they first open. Its translucent petals take on silvery highlights when fully matured and are sometimes touched with a few purple nuances at the core. Occasionally considered somewhat susceptible to bud rust in overly humid conditions, this wonderful variety performs very well in the sun, in an open location and planted in healthy soil.

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 buttercups or peonies.

The 'President Taft' variety is a French horticultural creation (Jacques Calot), dating back to 1857. This peony forms a herbaceous and branching, bushy clump from spring onwards reaching 80 cm (32in) to 1.20 m (4ft) in all directions, depending on the growing conditions. Its large 14 cm (6in) in diameter, very double flowers usually appear for about two weeks in early June, depending on the climate. They emerge as a large candy pink bud, then open into a pink, fluffy pompom. The small petals are dense, with those on the inside being paler, narrower, and sparser, sometimes tinged with pink-purple. This variety is vigorous, but its stems sometimes require staking, especially in partially shaded conditions. The young, purple and shiny foliage, unfolds into large, dark green, deeply cut leaves carried by 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 stay at ground level. This perennial plant grows from a large fleshy root that does not like being moved.

Peonies are among the plants that form the foundation of a garden. In the past, every garden, from the humblest to the most elaborate, proudly displayed clumps of flowers that made their way into the house with lilac and bluebell. The romantic and generous 'President Taft' Chinese peony can be planted in flower beds or along pathways, paired with timeless perennials such as columbines, bellflowers, phlox, carnations, or larkspurs. It will also increase the supply of cut flowers in the vegetable garden. It will not thrive in pots, where its needs will not be met. Over time, the peony plant becomes majestic and blooms more and more abundantly, producing up to 60 flowers.