Paeonia lactiflora Shirley Temple

Paeonia lactiflora Shirley Temple is an old variety of herbaceous peony that is irreplaceable in the garden as well as in bouquets. Its very double flowers resemble old roses and possess the same indefinable charm. They first open as large pompons tinted with pink flesh, then bloom in white. This vigorous and floriferous variety, highly fragrant, blooms in mid-season and becomes more spectacular over the years.

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 Shirley Temple variety forms a herbaceous and bushy clump from spring onwards, reaching up to 90 cm (35in) in all directions. Its large flowers, 16 to 18 cm (6 to 7in) in diameter, very double, appear in May-June, earlier or later depending on the climate, for about two weeks. They emerge as a large pink bud, then bloom into a skillfully disordered pink and white pompom. The petals are densely distributed, with the inner ones being paler, narrower, and more sparse. The vegetation of this variety is vigorous. The young purple and shiny foliage unfolds into large, dark green, deeply cut leaves. They are borne 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 foundations of a garden. In the past every garden, from the humblest to the most elaborate, proudly displayed clumps of peony flowers in spring that made their way into the house, keeping company with lilacs and bluebells in bouquets. Opulent and generous, the Chinese peony Shirley Temple can be planted in borders or alongside paths, associated with timeless perennials such as columbines, bellflowers, hollyhocks, 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 abundantly, producing up to 60 flowers.