Roselette’s Child

35". Single. Clear pink, big flowers, a bit crinkled and mottled, 6 inches wide. Average number of flowers, big heavy long bright golden stamens. Near white pistils have red tops. Fairly dense plant, big leaves, flowers carried high above bush.

Award of Landscape Merit (ALM) description: 'Roselette' (Saunders, 1950) Herbaceous Hybrid, Very early, 36?, Strong scent — Second generation hybrid descended from P. lactiflora, P. mlokosewitschi and P. tenuifolia; single. For those chomping at the bit each spring, 'Roselette' is prized for its early blooms that usher in the season of full size peonies. Each warm pink bloom is cupped and crinkled, consisting of nine or ten petals with occasional hairline streaks of cool red running their length along vein lines. A feather flare of light pink is evident on the backside of the petals. Stamen filaments are lighter and more lemon in color than the stamens. Carpels are light lemon green and tipped deep red. Erect stems hold blooms high above the bush. Mature blooms remain attractive withstanding early spring winds. Light green foliage is dense and, if Roselette is well situated and watered, durable all season, a legacy of its big-leafed peony heritage, P. macrophylla. A model of health above ground, so too 'Roselette' is below, with unearthed six-year old plants showing no evidence of root rot. Establishes and increases stem count quickly. Propagates readily by division, yielding superior “wagon wheel” type bare roots, attached to three–five eyed crown. Also propagates by adventitious roots. Suitable for landscape only.

Very dark red Jap. Good upright grower, vigorous, late, 34 inches. An improvement on Fuyajo. Seedling # JE-3.

Award of Landscape Merit (ALM) description: 'Charm' (Franklin, 1931) Lactiflora Group, Late mid-season, 38? — A lustrous and satiny, dark red Japanese form bloom with a center of the same red petaloids, etched yellow. Stiff and relatively straight stems angle outward gracefully to form a very large, harmoniously mounded, fountain of blooms. An eight-year-old plant matures to 40 or so stems that emerge from a relatively compact area. Although individual blooms are at their peak for a shorter duration than those of other lactifloras, plenty of side buds help 'Charm' maintain its striking presence in the landscape. One of the later Japanese form peonies to bloom.

Seedling TF-8. Parentage: (P. tenuifolia 'Plena' x P. tenuifolia 'Rosea')F2. First bloomed 2012, first propagated 2013. Fully double BOMB form. Baby pink flowers are borne 1 to a stem, 3¼ inches (8 cm) in size, up facing to slightly out facing. Two to three carpels on average which are glabrous to slightly tomentose, green and topped with whitish stigmas, the latter sometimes deformed. Disc poorly developed. No pollen, but as a pod parent normally fertile but not with other pink P. tenuifolia, so far. Not fragrant. Blooming time very early, together with or slightly ahead of P. tenuifolia 'Plena'. Finely cut foliage, pale green on emergence, is typical of the species. Average height to 15 inches (38 cm); support not needed. Named after originator's mother who was not the tallest person but the best mother one can imagine.