The World of the Peony (IX)

Peony cultivation in Europe

At the end of the 18th century the first Chinese herbaceous and tree peonies reached Europe from China. Now began the second important crossing activity outside China. Up to this time various forms of Paeonia officinalis had been produced in European gardens. «The poor man's rose», as it was also called, lived a rather modest life there. Now, with the Chinese herbaceous and tree peonies, old plants that had been in cultivation for centuries reached Europe. They were in themselves rich in genetic potential.

Herbaceous peonies

Nicolas Lemon was probably the first to produce new varieties from the seeds of these Chinese herbaceous peonies. The rose-pink 'Edulis superba' which he produced in 1824 is still commercially available.

In Europe, above all in France, but in England and Germany as well, nurserymen like Dessert, Crousse, Lemoine, Kelway and later Goos & Koenemann began and continued to work with this rich material. Thus a whole series of splendid cultivars were created, most of which bear French names and still belong to the standard stock of many nurseries. The great time of European peony cultivation lasted from about 1840 to the Second World War. Then interest died down. Only a few new sorts were produced, above all in France by Rivière and in Germany by Klose, who tried to rescue the cultivars of Goos & Koenemann, whose nursery was shut down after the war; indeed Klose managed to save quite a few German varieties.

'Festiva maxima' is a vigorous plant with white double, deliciously

fragrant flowers, whose centre petals show small red blotches.

Paeonia lactiflora 'Festiva maxima' is a vigorous plant with white double, deliciously fragrant flowers, whose centre petals show small red blotches. Foto: Walter Good

Some of the first European creations are in reality imported chinese or Japanese cultivars that only were renamed by the breeders. The same bad habit is to ovserve in Japan where the old European Lutea hybrids are sold under Japanese names.

Tree peonies

Among the Japanese and Chinese tree peonies some also underwent further crossing and quite a few beautiful European varieties were produced which at the turn of the century could be seen in the gardens of the rich.

Victor Lemoine (1823 - 1911)

Pierre Victor Lemoine (1823-1911) was one of the importest European plant breeders. Picture taken from «Möller's Deutsche Gärtner-Zeitung», 10th of august 1907 Foto: Michel Rivière

One of the most significant European breeders, Victor Lemoine, worked in the Lorrainese city of Nancy. Not only did he carry on the crossing of the Chinese forms of Paeonia lactiflora, he also was the first to start crossbreeding various wild peonies. Above all he succeeded in crossbreeding Paeonia lutea, flowering in a bright yellow, which had been discovered in China, with the old Chinese tree peonies. By doing that he laid the foundations for the American cultivation of Lutea hybrids.

His cultivars like

are still on the market today. In Japan they are sold under the following Japanese names:

'Kinshi' ('Chromatella')

'Kinkou' ('Alice Harding')

'Kinkaku' (Souvenir du Prof. Maxime Cornu')**

'Kintei' ('L'Espereance') and

'Kinyou' ('La Lorraine').

** 'Souvenir du Prof. Maxime Cornu' is a Lutea hybrid of Louis Henry

Paeonia 'Souvenir du Prof. Maxime Cornu' (Lutea hybrid) is a yellow and red blooming tree peony. Its heavy large flowers are sometimes hanging in th dark green leaves. A fine tree peony of Louis Henry. Foto: Josh Westrich

Paeonia 'L'Esperance' (Lutea Hybride) is a hybrid of Victor Lemoine (1910). The interesting red veines and edges of the opening flower disappear during blooming. Foto: W. Good in the private garden of Michel Rivière.

Paeonia 'L'Esperance' (Lutea Hybride) in full bloom. Foto: W. Good in the private garden of Michel Rivière.

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