Paeonia suffruticosa Lu Mu Ying Yu - Tree Peony

Paeonia suffruticosa 'Lu Mu Ying Yu', sometimes marketed under the name 'Green Jade', is a late-flowering tree peony that will delight collectors and enthusiasts of plant curiosities. Intensely unique, it is nonetheless very beautiful, with its opulent uniquely green and delicately scented blossoms. While it takes time to establish itself, the bush is vigorous and is adorned with lush foliage made up of large, long, thick, and soft leaves. Hardy and easy to grow in any good garden soil, it will live for many years without requiring much care, after careful planting. A mature tree peony needs no description, it is simply admired, either as a specimen or as a focal point in a shrub bed.

The tree peony 'Lu Mu Ying Yu', obtained in China at an unknown date (before 1990) by an illustrious unknown breeder, has somewhat mysterious origins. It is believed to be a hybrid between a woody Paeonia suffruticosa and a herbaceous and perennial P. lactiflora, of which there are many varieties often planted in gardens. All these plants from the Far East are very cold-resistant. They belong to the renonculaceae family.

'Lu Mu Ying Yu' slowly forms a sparsely branched, rounded bush that can exceed 1.50 m (5ft) in all directions. Under good growing conditions, and after many years, it can even reach human height. The knotty and upright branches bear deciduous leaves, which emerge in spring and fall in autumn. They are divided into long lanceolate leaflets, very smooth, strongly veined, reddish at bud break, quickly becoming tender green on the upper side and bluish-green underneath. The autumn colours are often very beautiful before the leaves drop.

The flowering of this 'Green Jade' variety takes place for 3 weeks in April-May, relatively late for a tree peony. A 3-year-old plant will produce a single flower in the first year, but 50 after 20 years of cultivation. It starts with very large, solitary, green and round buds that appear at the end of winter at the tips of new shoots. They open up into very double corollas that can reach 20 cm (8in) in diameter and 12 cm (5in) in depth. They consist of multiple crisped and imbricate petals, particularly towards the centre of the flower. At blooming, the entire flower is spring green. As they mature, the petals fade almost to white, from the periphery towards the centre, which retains its green colour for longer. Their fragrance is similar to that of Chinese peonies.

The tree peony is not a plant for impatient gardeners. It takes its time, but the years of patience are rewarded with the fabulous spectacle created by this opulent shrub covered in huge blossoms in spring. In the garden, Paeonia suffruticosa 'Lu Mu Ying Yu' will be sumptuous when planted against a wall, a hedge or in a border, under tall trees, but always sheltered from winds and in a well-ventilated and bright spot. Its green flowers will be enhanced by those of other white, red (Paeonia tenuifolia), pink or orange peonies, or early-flowering China roses (Old Blush). This variety also pairs well with other perennials that bloom before or after it, such as grasses, roses, garden irises, or campanulas.