Paeonia lactiflora Reine Hortense (= President Taft)

The 'Reine Hortense' Peony, also sold under the name of 'President Taft', is a very old variety derived from Paeonia lactiflora. Its flowers with a disheveled romanticism in shades of soft pink, remarkably abundant and fragrant. Its vegetation is compact and healthy, and its stump is very durable, qualities that have allowed it to resist trends and stand the test of time. Among the latest to bloom, it offers large flowers with a clove fragrance, double and tousled, with a powdery pink colour that becomes very pale when fully open. Its translucent petals take on silver tints at maturity, and sometimes show some red traces, while their centre is of a deeper pink. Sometimes considered a bit sensitive to rust on buds in overly humid conditions, this wonderful variety performs very well in full sun, in an open position, planted in healthy soil.

Chinese herbaceous peonies are primarily 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 Reine Hortense Chinese peony is a French horticultural creation (Jacques Calot) dating back to 1857. This peony forms a herbaceous and bushy clump from spring onwards, quite ramified, reaching 70 to 80 cm (28 to 32in) in all directions, depending on the growing conditions. Its large flowers, 14 cm (6in) in diameter, very double, appear between mid-May and early June, depending on the climate, lasting for about two weeks. They emerge as a large sugar pink bud, then open up into a pink, fluffy pompom, skillfully disordered. The small petals are densely distributed, with those on the inside being narrower and more sparse, sometimes streaked with crimson. The heart of the flower is of a deeper pink. The yellow stamens also give the centre of the corolla a slight golden reflection. The vegetation of this variety is compact. Its reddish stems are sturdy but sometimes require staking, especially in partially shaded exposures. The young purple and shiny foliage unfolds into large, lobed, bright green leaves. They are carried on a petiole that divides into 3, with lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate segments. The leaflets are either entire or 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 foundations of a garden. Formerly every garden, from the most modest to the most elaborate, proudly displayed clumps of peony flowers in spring, which made their way into the house to keeping company in bouquets with purple lilacs and blue bellflowers. Romantic and generous, the Reine Hortense Chinese peony can be planted in beds or alongside pathways, combined with timeless perennials such as columbines, phlox paniculata, carnations, or delphiniums. It can also be grown in the vegetable garden to supply cut flowers for the house. Only pot cultivation 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.