I have collected a number of Saunders peonies over the years. I have been really intrigued with his cross breeding of various species of peonies resulting in triploids and tetraploids that produce interesting colors and patterns. Here are pics of these peonies in my garden last year in the order of blooming time. If you have any Saunders Peonies, please share their pics here. Many thanks in advance!

Nova


Roselette


Daystar


Athena


Firelight


Lotus Bloom


Alexander Woollcott


Ellen Cowley


May Lilac


Cytherea


Paladin


Red Red Rose

I have several, I'll look for photos when I get home tonight! This could be a fun series to start, Karen! After this one is going for several days and less photos are being added someone can start another string with another hybridizer that they like....

Thanks Liz! Looking forward to see your pics. Does anyone have a nice pic of Athena with the petals opened?

Athena

Karen, Thanks for this thread! I love Saunders peonies and bought a few (I wish I had more space in the garden!). Hopefully they will bloom some day

LG, great pic of Athena. I have the plant but don't think I have such a nice picture.

Oh. here is my Roselette

Mary, I like your pictures of Athena, flowers are beautiful but I appreciate the view of entire plant.

Thanks, LG, Mary, and Anya. My Athena was planted in a bad location and has not done well. Last year I had only one bloom. I moved it to new location last fall so hope it will do better in the coming years. Mary and Lg, your pics of it are gorgeous! Love those beautiful flares!

I had May Lilac but planted in a really bad spot and it rotted the first year after planting.

Thanks all! Athena does well for me. It is so cheerful.
Prairie Butterflies is a Hollingsworth Peony that has a similar look. It blooms a little later and is very tall and vigorous. I highly recommend it. That is a yardstick in the second photo.

Here are some of mine. I made my first Saunders tree peony purchases last fall from Adelmans, hoping for a bloom or two this spring.

Alexander Woollcott


Claudia


Ludovica


Red, Red Rose

Mary, so sorry for the loss of your May Lilac. I think alot of Saunders peonies do not like wet conditions. I have mine planted on a raised bed on a slope. It seems to like it on the dry side.

LG, Prairie Butterflies is very nice! THey are huge for singles!

Liz, Claudia is very pretty. I would love to see its pic again this spring.

May Lilac is a lactiflora hybrid?
And a different plant from Morning Lilac which is an Itoh?

Enjoying the pictures here!

That's right, Caroline. There's a list of all of the Saunders hybrids in the Peony Database in the library section, I use this resource a lot! http://www.paeo.de/navigation/...

I've learned the hard way that Saunders peonies don't like damp or shade, moved my Roselette last fall from dry shade to full sun, hoping it'll recover....next to move will be Claudia. It's not quite as shaded but could do with more sun. I'll post pics when/if it blooms this spring, Karen. It's one that hasn't done much of anything in its current location. Since it hasn't actively declined I've not given it the attention it deserves.

Wow, thanks for the link, Liz! That is an awesome list.

Liz, wonderful peonies! I wonder if the color on the pictures is true. I saw Claudia in our botanical garden and it was with orange hue. The description for Al. Woolcott is that it is true red, the same is for Red Red Rose. Although on your pictures they are with some purple shade. I am thinking to buy Al.Woolcott. Is it really outstanding like people say? I recently planted Ludovica and Claudia and am excited to see their first bloom one day.

That site has so much helpful info...

My Claudia is in shade during the hottest part of the day, it probably is less orange than in full sun, it really needs to be moved. All of my pics are taken with my cell phone, not the best for color trueness! Both AW and RRR are very red to my eyes.

I have two of Saunders-planted in 2015.
Athena gave a single blossom in 2016.
Grace Root has not bloomed yet.