Paeonia delavayi var. lutea - Tree Peony

Paeonia 'Lutea' is a very beautiful botanical shrubby peony. With vigorous growth, it forms a superb bush adorned with abundant foliage reminiscent of Japanese maples, where pretty, bright yellow flowers of modest size nestle in spring. Highly appreciated for its resistance and undemanding nature, this shrubby peony is one of the least demanding and most rewarding. It can live for many years without requiring much care, after careful establishment. A mature shrubby peony needs no description; it is simply admired, either in isolation or in a shrubbery.

The yellow tree peony, in Latin Paeonia delavayi var. lutea, is an endemic undergrowth species in southwestern China, less demanding than other shrubby peonies but also slightly less hardy. It is found notably in the Yunnan province, where it grows in thickets at altitudes between 2400 and 3400 m (7874 and 11154 ft). This wild peony is the parent of many famous hybrids, such as 'Alice Harding', 'Souvenir de Maxime Cornu' or 'Chromatella'. It belongs, like all peonies, to the Ranunculaceae family.

Paeonia lutea is a sucker-producing plant, producing vigorous new shoots from its stump after a few years. It forms a slightly ramified shrub with lignified stems and a rounded habit, which generally reaches a height of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in). The shrub is capable of spreading up to 3 m (9 ft 10 in) over time. The short, erect branches bear deciduous leaves, which emerge in spring and fall in autumn. They have fine, lanceolate lobes. The terminal leaflet is much longer than the others (10 cm (3.9 in)). The colour of the leaves, reddish when the buds form, quickly becomes dark green on top and bluish-green underneath. The autumn colours can be very beautiful depending on the climate and the year, before the leaves fall.

The flowering period lasts for 3 weeks in May-June, making it one of the last shrubby peonies to bloom in the garden. A 3-year-old plant will bear a single flower, then more and more over time. From the end of winter, a 20-year-old plant will be adorned with about fifty large, green and round buds, grouped in threes at the tips of new shoots. They then open into corollas with a double row of petals measuring 5 to 6 cm (2 to 2.4 in) in diameter, slightly hidden among the foliage. The petals are a light and bright yellow, surrounding a large centre occupied by golden-yellow stamens. This shrubby peony has no fragrance.

The shrubby peony is not a plant for impatient gardeners. It takes its time, but years of patience are rewarded with the fabulous spectacle created by this opulent shrub covered in huge flowers in spring. In the garden, the 'Lutea' peony will be appreciated for its wild charm, vigour, and accommodating nature. Always choose a sheltered, airy, and bright spot for it, but one that is also well exposed. Its yellow flowers will be enhanced by those of other white, red, or orange peonies, or even English roses in salmon tones (Grace, Lady of Shalott). It could also be daringly combined with an easy-to-grow Japanese maple like Acer palmatum Atropurpureum or bronze fennel, for example. Also consider perennials with blue flowers such as garden irises, bellflowers, or catmints.