Can't believe how fast the days are flying by since I began the Series. Today is the day for showcasing your Single Form Peonies. Although the single form may not be as popular as other forms, they are often favored for their very early blooms and/or their prolific blooms.

Here is APS description of the Single Form:

"Typically resembles the wild form with 5 or more petals, pollen bearing stamens, and functional carpels. Singles in cultivation may have up to 15 petals but still be classed as Singles, provided the petals are spread in a saucer shape – rather than being cup-shaped, ruffled, or otherwise giving the impression of a noticeable third dimension, which have been used to justify applying the Semidouble classification, instead."

My earliest blooms are Fernleaf Hybrid


and Nova


Soft Apricot Kisses


Firelight


May Lilac


Coral N Gold


Pillow Cases

Beautiful single peonies, Karen. They are so carefree!

Mine are in order of bloom time.

p. japonica blooms very early.




Dawn Glow



Coral Scout





Apricot Whisper



Pehrson's Violet Frisbee



Momotaro Peach Boy Itoh

lovely pics Karen and LG. My singles are also the earliest to show up usually - these are some of my favourites, and I'm showing clumps where possible as I feel they make a better impact that way
America;


Claire de Lune - always looks good when planted near shrubs etc with early spring yellow/gold foliage


Earlibird - a super dwarf peony


Fairy Princess - a little taller and apparently fragrant - I will have to check that this year


Feng dan Bai - a really hardy TP here with high buds surviving our winters.


Japensha Ikua (n/r) Fabulous shiny red


Little Red Gem - planted in an area that is first to get frosts and survives intact


May Music


Merry Mayshine - love this so much I bought more last year! Beautiful shiny blooms. Plant dies down early so I have heuchera Marmalade behind that goes 'on display' when MM stems are cut down


Old Rose Dandy - variable (temps/rain etc) but lovely flowers




Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow - always great


Pico - moved to a sunnier spot and now awesome Tons of blooms and no support needed.


Polly Sharp - one of the last to bloom here and always notable


Rose Crystal - often with wonderful pink picoteed edges - early bloomer


Tria - when it's good it's very good

Scarlet Heaven

Wow Val! They are simply gorgeous!! Your Little Red Gem is picture perfect.

LG - LRG is always a favourite here and looks even better when photographed at an earlier stage
Actually it looks super post-bloom too and fall foliage develops a wonderful mahogany tint before going over.

Great blooms and pics, LG, Valerie, and Socal! Coral Scout has a really nice unique color, LG!

Your bushes are amazing, Valerie! with LG about your Merry Mayshine! Does MM do well in semi-shade? I also love your Rose Crystal! It is a color combination that always takes my breath away.

Paeonia 'Topeka Garnet' 6/2021 Lactiflora- (Bigger, 1975) (3-SL-RD) Lactiflora Peony, Mature size: 36", Medium height, dark red, single, USDA Hardiness Zone 3-8, Michigan Bloom Month 6b, In Garden Bed D3 for 200 DAYS (Song). Planted in 2020.

AMERICAN PEONY SOCIETY GOLD MEDAL AWARD

American Peony Society: Parentage unknown. Dark shiny red single. Light green seed pods with red tips. The wiry 36 inch stems are very adequate, with dark green clean foliage. It has a very small tuft of stamens. The flower fades very little. Seedling # 14-59.

Photo by F.D.Richards, SE Michigan. Additional photos of this plant from 2020, 21:

https://www.flickr.com/search/...

Singles are actually my favourite but Bright Knight (from Hidden Springs)is the only one I had bloom last year. I ordered several from Song Sparrow which I hope will prove to be true to type!

Karen - Merry Mayshine just gets morning sun so I would say it takes semi-shade. I planted another one last year in a spot that only gets afternoon sun so I can compare.
I also forgot that Little Red Gem also has wonderful burgundy-shaded foliage in the early Spring too;

I have many single peonies, love how how whole bushes look, though need to support a few of them because the flowers are very large.
Paeonia anomala

Little Red Gem and mollis

P. tenuifolia rosea

Nosegay

Early Scout

Claire de Lune

Chalice

Roselette, Claire de Lune and Merry Mayshine

Seedling

Seedling of Pink Vanguard

Athena

Scarlet O'Hara

Sugar N Spice

Postilion

White Innocence

Seedling of Dunlora

Old Rose Dandy

Mahogany

Flame, Seashell (and Do Tell)

Chiffon Clouds and Seashell

Sparkling Star

I love Sea Shell, I do have 3 out there, maybe one will survive.

Friendship which is a very hardy, good growing peony:



NOID (most likely Krinkled White) - this starts a very light pink that quickly fades to white. Here you can perhaps see some pink accents. I do have some 1st year Krinkled White's planted and hope to lock down the identification this spring.



I will also say that first year Krinkled White blooms are, well, kind of ugly. They have a waxy translucence that isn't attractive and they are not very well formed. It benefits greatly from a second year where they fully develop a fragile paper-like appearance and start to put up a lot of blooms.

Same plant, year 1:



It is amazing the difference that a year makes.

Top

So many amazing blooms, Anya! They are all so pretty. That photo with Roselette, Claire de Lune and Merry Mayshine is gorgeous!

I love Krinkled White, Top. Mine took forever to look good.

Beautiful show, everyone. I want them all!

Just gorgeous singles, Socal, Frank, Hiya, Anya and Top!

Socal, I have always admired the color of Scarlet Heaven and yours reaffirms its beautiful red color.

Hiya, Bright Knight is gorgeous! Love the color and its cupped form. I hope to see more of its pics this spring.

Frank, Topeka Garnet has such a bright cheery red color!

Anya, wow! Love your singles blooms and photos! They are stunning! Once again, their colors are so clear and bright. I can't take my eyes off the wonderful colors and blooms of Nosegay, White Innocence, and Claire De Lune. I have never seen a whiter and purer looking peony than White Innocence. Gorgeous!

Top, I have been loving your photos of Friendship that you posted this past spring as well as this one. You truly captured the essence and beauty of this lovely peony. Your NOID does look a lot like Krinkled White. KW gets better as it becomes established.

Thanks Valerie! Little Red Gem foliage is so pretty and cute!

Thank you all so much for posting your beautiful peonies photos this past week. I have enjoyed this Form Series for herbaceous and itohs peonies immensely. I hope that you all feel the same. Next week, Jan. 18 is the start of the Tree Peonies Form Series. Hope more will participate and that there will be a lot of pics to see. Except perhaps for David @Kestrel36, Jasmin, and Tracey, some of us have a very limited collection of tree peonies in our gardens, and thus not that many tree peonies to show. Looking forward to see huge sumptuous tree peonies blooms next week. I am already for them!

Just the last single for this week - Sonoma Apricot

Hi everyone, I have been looking when able trying to keep up with posts.
Love the series, and thank you Karen and all who are posting.
I will look and see what photos I have, but I didn't keep many from previous years and mostly have somewhat out of focus short videos from 2021, for those I did not totally miss the blooms on.

Lots of lovely pictures! You all take really nice photographs.

Anya - I really am intrigued by the pure white of White Innocence.