Paeonia lactiflora Celebrity

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Celebrity’ is a Chinese peony that, over time, forms a plant that stands out in spring borders. Its double flower, variegated with raspberry pink and white, displays a certain opulence and quite marked contrast, yet remains easy to pair with other perennials in the garden. Its spicy fragrance is perceptible in a flower arrangement. In the garden, it is superb in romantic settings. It is a mid-season variety, flowering in May-June depending on the region.

This peony belongs to the Paeoniaceae family. It derives from Paeonia lactiflora, the Chinese peony, a herbaceous perennial species native to temperate Asia, from southeastern Siberia to northern and eastern China, Mongolia and Manchuria. In the wild, this plant grows in prairies, forest edges and clear woodlands. It develops a fleshy crown, which stores reserves underground during winter and sends up new shoots in spring. 

Introduced to the horticultural market in 1985, ‘Celebrity’ belongs to the lactiflora peony group. It is distinguished by its double flowers of the ‘bomb’ type, voluminous, with a heart filled with petaloids. Over time, it forms a clump of leaves reaching 90 cm to 1m in height and 50 to 80cm in spread, depending on soil richness. Its growth is slow in the first few years, then the crown gains in size. The young shoots are red-brown; the sturdy stems bear dark green foliage, cut into elliptical to lanceolate leaflets. The flowers open in May-June, in the middle of the lactiflora peony season. They are large corollas of about 15cm, with broad outer petals, from raspberry pink to fuchsia. The centre rises in a tight dome. It gathers many petaloids, i.e. stamens transformed into small petals, cream white, soft pink and brighter pink. This ‘pompon’ has a frizzled and irregular appearance; the stamens are barely visible because the flower is very double. In the garden, staking may be necessary in a border exposed to wind. The above-ground vegetation disappears in autumn.
In China, Paeonia lactiflora has been cultivated for centuries for its ornamental qualities and for its root, used in local medicine.

Plant this peony in a sunny border, in rich but well-drained soil. Respect a spacing of 70-80cm from its neighbours, as it does not like competition. You can pair it with Iris germanica ‘Night Edition’ in deep violet and bluish-white to highlight its raspberry pink colour, Salvia nemorosa ‘Lubecca’, and Phlox paniculata ‘Blue Paradise’, which takes over in summer. You can also plant bulbs of Allium stipitatum ‘Mount Everest’ nearby; this ornamental onion will produce beautiful white balls in May-June.

Our secret for cut flower arrangements: cut your peonies at dawn, when the buds begin to colour.