Paeonia lactiflora Jan van Leeuwen - Garden Peony

Paeonia lactiflora 'Jan van Leeuwen' is a superb herbaceous peony of the Japanese type, reaching 90cm (35in) in height. The flowers of this herbaceous peony are single and elegant, composed of a cup of wide and pure white petals on which a prominent heart of petaloid yellow stamens rests. The beauty of the flowers is accompanied by a subtle fragrance. This late variety illuminates the borders during the first half of June and also performs very well as a cut flower.

Chinese herbaceous peonies are mainly derived from Paeonia lactiflora, a perennial herbaceous plant native to central and eastern Asia (from eastern Tibet, northern China, to eastern Siberia), where it naturally grows in woods and meadows. This plant belongs to the Paeoniaceae family.

The variety 'Jan van Leeuwen' was introduced in 1928. The plant forms a solid herbaceous and bushy clump from spring, reaching about 90cm (35in) in all directions. Its large flowers appear at the end of the peony season, lasting for about two weeks. Each flower lives for 7 to 10 days. They emerge as a large white bud, then open into a pure white corolla. The stamens are transformed into small, fringed petals of a rather bright yellow. They occupy the centre of the flower, composed of broad rounded petals arranged in a cup shape. The female organs, called stigmas, are yellow in this peony. They are only visible when the flower is fully open. The young purple and shiny foliage unfolds into large, deeply cut, bright green leaves. They are carried by a petiole that divides into 3, with lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate segments. The leaflets are entire or sometimes lobed. They disappear in winter, while the buds that will develop in spring persist at ground level. This very perennial plant grows from a large fleshy root that does not like to be moved

Peonies are one of those plants that form the basis of a garden. In the past, every garden, from the humblest to the most elaborate, proudly displayed clumps covered in flowers that made their way into the house, keeping company in every bouquet with lilac and bluebells. Opulent and generous, 'Jan van Leeuwen' settles in borders or along paths, alongside timeless perennials such as columbines, bellflowers, hellebores, carnations, or Christmas roses. It will also increase the supply of flowers for bouquets in the vegetable garden. Potted cultivation is not recommended, as its needs will not be met. Over time, the peony becomes majestic and blooms more and more abundantly, producing up to 60 flowers.