Paeonia x lactiflora Mistress - Chinese Peony

The Peony or Paeonia lactiflora 'Mistress', highly sought after for cut flowers, produces beautiful double white flowers for festive tables. In this mid-season variety, the stems are particularly strong, they do not require staking, and the flowers last a long time in a vase. This quality is sought after both for bouquets and in the garden. The elegance of the flowers is accompanied by a light fragrance. Easy to grow, this herbaceous peony thrives in any loose and rather moist soil, in full sun.

Chinese peonies are herbaceous perennial plants mainly derived from Paeonia lactiflora, a species native to central and eastern Asia (from eastern Tibet, northern China, to eastern Siberia). In nature, this peony grows in woods and meadows. This plant belongs to the peony family. Its foliage disappears 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.

The Paeonia lactiflora 'Mistress' is an old variety dating back to 1949, its breeder is not mentioned in the literature. This plant forms a clump of leafy stems that can reach 80-85 cm wide. Its globular flowers, 14-15 cm wide, appear between late May and June, earlier or later depending on the climate. They are carried by sturdy stems, 85 cm above the ground. This flowering lasts for two to three weeks. Generally pure white, the flowers sometimes show slight red streaks on the small central petals. The yellow stamens are not very visible. The vegetation of this variety is good, and its foliage is dark green. The young shoots are slightly tinged with purple when they emerge from the ground in spring.

Undoubtedly elegant, the 'Mistress' peony allows you to create high-class bouquets, with the fragrant white roses of 'Margaret Merril' and the 'Bristol Fairy' gypsophila for example. It can be used in flower beds or along pathways, alone or in small groups of 3 to 5 plants. Easily create a beautiful scene with white bellflowers and some 'Famous White' Phlox paniculata. It will also increase the supply of flowers for bouquets in the vegetable garden. However, 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.

Peonies are part of those plants that form the basis of a garden. In the past, every garden, from the humblest to the most elaborate, displayed clumps of flowers in spring that made their way into the house, keeping company in each bouquet with lilacs, Madonna lilies, and bellflowers.