The Tree Peony is in bloom! Yesterday saw the first bit of color in the bud. Watch the bloom open over the course of today:
While it took only 24 hours to make the transformation, the wait to see the bloom of this Tree Peony was one day short of two years. Last year it was loaded with buds when an unforecasted frost zapped them all at the end of April. I've been hyper-vigilant this year, with a sheet at the ready. All that effort paid off.I purchased this plant sometime between 2001 and 2003 as Paeonia suffruticosa 'Kamatanishiki.' It first bloomed in 2006, and, shortly thereafter, I realized it looked nothing like 'Kamatanishiki.' (But see the 'Kamatanishiki' at Dirt Therapy.) I've concluded that it is 'Ofuji Nishiki' a Rockii Hybrid. (Rockii hybrids have dark flares in the center of the blooms.)
I like it even better than 'Kamatanishiki.' This plant is the diva of Squirrelhaven and worth every bit of the trouble. Does your garden have any divas?