I am starting a thread where we can ask other readers questions about a given cultivar. Some of the cultivars aren't common, so maybe it doesn't get a response for a long time. Anyhow, I'll start.

I've been looking with some interest at a herbaceous cultivar named 'Strawberry Ripple.' The Gold City link is here:

http://www.goldcityflowergarde...

And the photo is of an irregular pink to blush to light blush flower that I rather like. I am happy with the appearance of this flower and would be happy if it were representative of the cultivar.

When you look at the same cultivar at Hidden Springs...

https://www.hiddenspringsflowe...

You get a photo of a flower that is what with large reddish ripples or blotches. I am not really happy with the appearance of the flowers here.

Carsten's site appears to be in agreement with Hidden Springs, saying, "Myron D. Bigger, 201 N. Rice Road, Topeka, Kansas 66616, 1979. Parentage unknown. Full double white with strawberry ripple over the entire flower. Few stamens. Thirty-six inch stem and good foliage."

Anyhow, I've been staying away from it because of the difference in flower appearance. Does anyone have first hand experience with it?

Thanks!

I finally found my photo. It comes up very early here.


The center got ruined. It is already up here this year.
Mine came from Gold City. They bought all of the Myron Bigger Peonies from him.

Search on Facebook and you will see some other posts of it.

I will post photos this year if I get some blooms.

Hey LG... If you don't mind, let's see how tall it gets. I will try to remember to jazz you about it in May. Also, does it fade to white, shift from white to pink, or other change color as it ages?

Thanks!

Top, thanks for starting this thread. I also was confused about this variety because I also did not like the photo at Hidden Springs. There is another nursery which offers it (starting recently):
https://solarisfarms.com/shop/...

Very different images. I am glad LG has it and maybe other people who grow it will post their pictures.

Great thread topic Top! This happens so often to me it is not funny lol. So mostly I just look for confirmation and then hope for the best!

Wow, Nate's looks really different! I have it but don't remember taking a pic last year, we had that last weekend in May blizzard and a lot of buds were killed off, never opened. Mieko's is always gorgeous, though! It would be interesting to get it from all 3 places and see if it's even the same variety!

I am ok with Nate's photo - it reminds me a lot of Festiva Maxima. But I agree, the flower the LG is growing looks fantastic.

Does anyone grow Madame Lemoine?
Are the flowers really white globes?
Looking for a double white with large flowers.
I had one a long time ago .

Wow, Caroline, "Madame Lemoine" seems to be very rare in the Americas. The EU sellers list it as a herbaceous peony when it should be a tree peony, so there seems to be a cloud of confusion circling about this cultivar too. (They are probably selling "Madame Emile Lemoine.")

Here is the APS entry for it:
https://americanpeonysociety.o...

Yes, with old French varieties there is a confusion. I stopped paying attention to their names I would trust pictures from a nursery if it is a reliable nursery and if a picture was taken there and order a peony if it is what I want.

Thanks....I did not know about the tree one by the almost same name.
I am looking at the herbaceous.
Lindenberg seeds in Manitoba has it in their seed catalogue.

Does anyone have personal experience with Qingkong Wanli?
I have seen it described as having a dense petal arrangement, and as having sparse petals?

They look like different cultivars to me. If LG received hers from Gold City, it makes sense hers would be pink like theirs. But the description from the registry does not match. I don't doubt that it could be a Bigger variety, but it doesn't seem to be that one as labeled.

Soil and temperature differences can have an effect on plants but I'm not sure if I'm on board with that this time.

I tend to lean toward the correct cultivar with Nate and Harvey's photos. Harvey prides himself on peony history and is very knowledgeable.

However, all that said, whatever cultivar the Gold City one is, I'd buy because I like the look of the cultivar better.

My buds froze out AGAIN!! I may move it this Fall.

I did buy another one from Gold City. It came up early and froze. So it's probably the same one as I got originally.

I guess we will have to wait on mine until next year.

Oh, so sorry, LG! Your spring is so unpredictable! We will wait for the next season(s) to resolve this mystery.

Wow, that's tough, LG I hope you have better luck next year with that one!

Thanks y'all. I am having a great peony season, so not too upset. Peonies really have to mature before they bloom reliably.

opinions on Seidl #245?

Do you think there will be any difference in color for the same plant (Hephestos) depending on the supplier? Namely Solaris/ Adelmans?
The pics they have on their sites are a bit diff in color, and I know climate and soil may be the reason, but Adelmans pic is more true red while solaris looks alittle more red magenta ish, Nate does describe it as brick red though so I was hopeful the supplier would not matter to the colors end result?

Climate/ growing conditions such as soil and temps can impact things like color. My best educated guess is that these two places have the same Hephestos . It Isn't one the Dutch have gotten a hold of to rename and redistribute, not that I know of anyway. Sometimes that can happen to further confuse things.