The word “peony” triggers memories—sentimental recollections of grandma, fragrance, and beauty. And just as quickly, visions of unwelcome ants and storm-trodden blossoms face down in the dirt enter your mind. But the first impression is always of this exotic flower’s beauty.

The peonies we are most familiar with are the herbaceous types, some call “bush peonies.” These are not truly bushes, but perennial plants that die back to the ground in Fall and sprout from a substantial root system the following Spring.

Often called the Memorial Day Peony because its bloom time commonly coincides with that holiday, Paeonia officinalis ‘Rosea Plena’ offers large, double, rose-pink blossoms. The first peonies brought to America by the colonists were forms of Paeonia officinalis, a European plant with herbal uses.

Another double red peony, Paeonia tenuifolia, or fern leaf peony, arrived in the U.S. with European immigrants. The Ukrainian native blooms very early on a delicate-looking plant, less than 24” tall. The plant requires excellent drainage and will go dormant as early as August.

Introducing Peony to America

In the early 19^th century the most versatile and valuable peony arrived on the American public’s radar. French and British traders introduced Paeonia lactiflora from China in a time when the discovery of (and appetite for) so many Oriental treasures led to two devastating conflicts called the Opium Wars.

For the first several decades in the 19^th century, the French led the world in the introduction of new peony varieties. Nearly all of them were derived from Paeonia lactiflora. American florists saw opportunity and began importing plants from France and, later on, from England. It wasn’t until the early 20th-century that American breeders began to make their marks. Eventually, they generated thousands of varieties. They mostly used them for the cut flower trade.

Anyone over the age of 60 might have memories of their mothers or grandmothers taking bouquets of peonies to decorate graves of their loved ones on what originally was called Decoration Day. The holiday, established after the American Civil War to honor those who died in the conflict, was declared a national holiday in 1971. But well before that time, florists did a lively business selling peonies for grave decorations.

Pioneering Peony Distribution

Chicago-area commercial plant nursery pioneer Amasa Kennicott discovered how to store cut peonies for distribution to florists in the late 1800s. Peonies cut in the “soft marshmallow” stage could keep for weeks if refrigerated. Growers would cut the peony stems when the flower buds felt like soft marshmallows. Then, they would strip off the lower leaves, and bunch them for the wholesale market.

Refrigerated train cars, referred to as “reefers,” were just being perfected in the 1880s, developed by Chicago-based meat packing firms like Swift and Armor to ship meat all over the country. The timing was perfect for Kennicott, whose cut peonies traveled in similar fashion to florists throughout the country. An advertisement in the 1912 issue of Florists’ Review, showed that wholesale prices for peonies ranged from $4 and $8 per 100 stems.

There was little concern about stem strength because sellers cut the flowers before opening to be stored for wholesale use. Peonies wouldn’t collapse in a rainstorm until their petals unfurled and captured too much water to stand up straight.

The 1950s and the Interstate Highways Change the Game

As Americans settled into communities in the country, they planted the peonies most readily available—in their gardens as well as in cemeteries. Although not all peonies developed before the 1950s flopped, most of the readily available plants—like ‘Festiva Maxima’ and ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ did.

By the 1950s, the interstate highways changed things up in a major way, permitting greenhouses further from city centers to ship all kinds of flowers—not just those that held up as well as peonies.

As the subdivisions spread across the country after WWII and the horticulture industry offered more and more “upstanding shrubs,” peonies gradually faded out of favor with home gardeners. It took several decades and hundreds of garden-worthy introductions to change that perception.

Ten Notable Peonies Through 1945

1. Festiva Maxima (1851, Miellez, France) The most widely-known heirloom peony still available, ‘Festiva Maxima’ is a white double with fragrant flowers on stems that must be staked in the landscape. Its trademark red flecks are more noticeable as the flower opens.
2. Duchesse de Nemours (1856, Calot, France) This fragrant white double has a touch of yellow at the base of its petals, and makes a great cut flower, although it might need support in the garden.
3. Sarah Bernhardt (1906, Lemoine, France) The most widely grown peony throughout the world for cut flowers, ‘Sarah Bernhardt’, named for the famous actress, the medium pink flower is very large and lightly fragrant; the plant is floriferous, and must be staked in a garden setting.
4. Mikado (1893, Japan) Introduced to Americans at the Chicago World’s Fair, ‘Mikado’ was the first of its form (later named “Japanese”) to be shown in this country. Flowers are red with a center tuft of rose and yellow, it stands without staking.
5. Jubilee (1908, Pleas, Indiana). No longer available, this two-time National Peony Show winner and Philadelphia Flower Show honoree in 1971, ‘Jubilee’ was known for its huge flowers. Unfortunately, it was also know for its long, weak stems.
6. Chestine Gowdy (1913, Brand, Minnesota) This fragrant pink double has so many petals, it must be supported in the landscape. But its beauty makes it worth the trouble.
7. Minnie Shaylor (1919, Shaylor, Massachusetts) A white semi-double with a red center, this peony is mother plant to many intersectional hybrid peonies. ‘Minnie Shaylor’ received an Award of Landscape Merit in 2009 for its ability to hold up to stormy weather.
8. Myrtle Gentry (1925, Brand, Minnesota) Described as rosy white suffused with tints of flesh and salmon, this fragrant beauty was named for peony breeder Archie Brand’s business partner.
9. Neon (1941, Nichols, New York) There is no ignoring this bright fuchsia flower with the neon gold center and light fragrance. Its heritage includes one of the first peonies introduced to this country by a Japanese nursery.
10. Big Ben (1943, Auten, Illinois) This rose red variety can reach up to four feet tall, so keep that in mind when you go to find some supports for this fragrant variety.