Matias Krieger
Country:
Germany
Short biography:
I’m a landscape gardener by trade, but I work as a roofer and have been self-employed since 2004. We have four children and several animals, so my time to care for the plants is very limited.
More information:
I discuss my plants with Wolfgang and Anita Giessler to see whether any of them will be worthwhile of propagation in the future.
Peony hybridizers series
How did you first get involved in peony hybridizing?
Over the past few years, I’ve received approximately 2,000 herbaceous peony seeds from the Giessler family; as well as 1,000 seeds of Paeonia rockii ssp rockii (linyanshani), and P. delavayi (P. lutea), which I collected myself.
In addition, I have about 6,000 seeds of P. tenuifolia F3. I’ve also purchased several hundred different varieties over the last 15 years or so. So, I have my own seeds as well as those from the Giessler family. Growing tenuifolias seems to be a bit more challenging, but that doesn’t deter me, even though the losses are quite high.
What was your starting material for your hybridizing?
Last year I pollinated about 200 plants from the Giessler family, including varieties like Big Jhonny, Maria Fairfax, Seidl’s Super, Dreamtime, Pastelegance, and several others. I also obtained my pollen from the Giessler family and made a mixture of this pollen from Sunny Boy, Valkyrie, Lemon Chiffon, Origin of Serenity, Zlatičko, and unnamed seedlings from the Giessler family.
This year I pollinated 200 Dreamtime plants with pollen from Sunny Boy.
I don’t protect the pollinated flowers, giving nature its own chance as well. I love what I do and am simply looking forward to next spring.
What are your goals in hybridizing peonies?
Only about 300 herbaceous seedlings and about 400 P. rockii seedlings have flowered so far, out of approximately 6,000 that should all be flowering by 2030 at the latest. Of these, about 3,000 are still in pots in the tunnel, which I still need to plant out this year and next. All of this without any technology or chemicals, which is quite an undertaking.
Do you mostly depend on open pollination or do you mostly make controlled crosses?
| 100% open | 50/50 | 100% controlled |
How large is your hybridizing program?
I hope to see approximately 6,500 seedlings of herbaceous and shrubby peonies flowering by 2028, or the rest by 2030. In addition, there will be about 2,500 P. tenuifolia F3 plants, and I can’t manage any more than that.
Do you have any plants in the market?
Not yet. I can’t send you any pictures yet, as I only took three of one seedling. However, I have a few Dreamtime and Lemon Chiffon seedlings that you might want to take a look at. I’ve discussed with Wolfgang Giessler that I would photograph everything properly in the spring of 2026, as my sister-in-law is capable of doing so. I’ll cut a bouquet from each plant, which I would then take to Gross Rosenburg to have the flowers assessed. I will then ask Anita to send you the pictures and give her opinion on whether any of them are suitable for propagation.
Do you know the American Peony Society (APS)? Are your plants registered there?
No plants registered.
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