Paeonia suffruticosa Rou Fu Rong

Paeonia suffruticosa 'Rou Fu Rong' is a Chinese variety of bush peony that is interesting for its pleasantly scented semi-double flowering, of a deep pink colour. It has vigorous growth and good tolerance to difficult growing conditions. Its chrysanthemum-like flowers open to reveal a beautiful cluster of stamens. This hardy bush is easy to grow anywhere, including coastal gardens or in very chalky soil. It will thrive for many years without requiring much care. An established tree peony plant needs no description, it can simply be admired, either on its own or as a focal point in a shrub border.

The tree peony 'Rou Fu Rong' was selected in China in 1975. It is a beautiful descendant of Paeonia suffruticosa, native to central China. This extraordinary species, cultivated for about 1500 years in China and two centuries in Europe, has given rise to numerous cultivars with single or double flowers in all colours except true blue. The wild form has never been formally identified. In contrast to herbaceous peonies, Paeonia suffruticosa produces a woody framework with one or more small trunks and knotty branches that persist throughout the year, like those of shrubs. Its foliage is deciduous, appearing in spring and falling in autumn, sometimes taking on beautiful hues at the end of the season. All these plants native to the Far East are very hardy. They belong to the Ranunculaceae family.

Rou Fu Rong eventually develops into a sparsely branched, spreading bush that can reach a height of 1.20 m (4ft) and a width of 1.40 m (5ft) under favourable growing conditions. The short, upright, relatively thin branches bear deeply divided, lanceolate segments, strongly veined leaves, sometimes tinged with purple when they emerge, turning quickly to light green. The flowering of this variety generally occurs in May, in the middle of the tree peony season. A 3-year-old plant will produce a single flower in the first year, but 50 after 20 years of cultivation. It begins with very large, solitary, green and rounded buds that appear at the end of the winter on the tips of new shoots and are resistant to late frosts. They open into semi-double corollas, upright or held horizontally, measuring 17-18 cm (7in) in diameter and 5 cm (2in) deep. They are composed of multiple delicate, silky, crumpled, flesh pink petals, tinged with purple at the base. The flower's centre is occupied by golden yellow stamens, visited by bumblebees. Their fragrance is very pleasant.

The tree peony is not a plant for impatient gardeners. It takes its time, but the years of patience are rewarded with the fabulous spectacle created by this opulent shrub covered in huge flowers in spring. In the garden, the 'Rou Fu Rong' bush peony will be sumptuous as a standalone against a wall, in the foreground of a hedge, or in a border under tall trees, but always protected from winds and in a well-lit and airy location. Its magnificent flowers will be enhanced by those of other white, dark pink, purple, or mauve peonies, by clusters of lilacs in mauve, purple, or white, or by early-flowering China roses (Old Blush). This plant also pairs well with other perennials that flower before or after it, such as bearded irises or bellflowers.