Hi Valerie. There are some really gorgeous new ones out there: Duchesse de Lorraine, Caroline Constabel, and Oochigeas

They are all so beautiful, I am sure it will be very hard to decide!

First Itoh of the season! Haleigh's Hallelujah 1st bud opened today, surprised me because they didn't look mature enough to pop yesterday and the rest still look like it'll be a while....pine tree pollen instead of hail damage on this foliage!

Beautiful bloom Liz!

I am so happy yours have started. I can't wait to see what blooms next.

Cora Louise, which bloomed in May now seems to be producing seeds.

Would these seeds most likely be viable and, if so, would the seedlings be tree peonies?

Is Rockii the TP parent of Cora Louise?

Often times those ITOHs will look like they produce seed, they swell as if to fool you but once fall comes around, you will open it only to find what is not seed, tiny black specks.

ITOHs are most often the result of a Lactiflora (pod parent) X tree peony (pollen parent). There has been little to no luck getting actual viable seed from ITOHs , but as I have been told, never say never.....

Solaris Farms got a hybrid from Bartzella and a tree peony, on Facebook today, it is less than 1/100 chance, but successful.

magnolialover said:Often times those ITOHs will look like they produce seed, they swell as if to fool you but once fall comes around, you will open it only to find what is not seed, tiny black specks.

ITOHs are most often the result of a Lactiflora (pod parent) X tree peony (pollen parent). There has been little to no luck getting actual viable seed from ITOHs , but as I have been told, never say never.....

It is possible but rare, and this is a guy who throws pollen around like no ones business. So you grow out the one seed and it's a dud. The life of a hybridizer.....

I bought my Itoh today, and picked Joanna Marlene. I love the colour, and it was blooming which is a bonus, since I know I got the right cultivar. A photo taken this afternoon of the bloom and a close up of the center.

A few more photos of Joanna Marlene taken in the morning, and showing the colour better than the ones taken in the late afternoon sun.

That is a gorgeous peony. I really love the yellow/red combos. I have Garden Treasure and Border Charm and like them much more than Lemon Chiffon for all it is expensive. Over rated I think.

Lemon Chiffon is expensive. The cost is for its breeding potential, in my opinion.

I like Sunny Girl much better than Lemon Chiffon for herbaceous, I agree that for the flower and growth rate Lemon Chiffon isn't the best investment. It does produce some amazing seedlings, though. I remember seeing it quite often in the seedling beds at Solaris, Tracey. Have you been back?

My 'Melissa' is a far better yellow than 'Lemon Chiffon'. Lemon Chiffon is known for its hybridizing potential. The genetics are good.

Haven't been back to Solaris Farms. Maybe next year if I am fortunate enough to make it up there during peak bloom season. What a treat it was this year!

I agree, Tracey. That visit completely changed the pecking order of the places I'll order from regularly.

I don't know if the pictures I took has a clear enough view of the plant tags and I deleted the tag pic after putting the name on the first few (still haven't gotten very far, away from home too much this spring). I'll try to tag the parents on the seedling pics I have left. I know some of the ones I like the best were from Lemon Chiffon.

Garden Treasure was the only Itoh still blooming when I got back. I actually got 2 roots of GT from Hollingsworth--ordered 1 and got the 2nd as a free gift. Gave one of them to a friend in Aurora and theirs bloomed last spring, 1 bud and this spring, 2 flowers. Mine bloomed for the 1st time this spring, only 1 bloom. My foliage was much nicer than theirs, though. Theirs only had the 2 stems with a bloom on each, mine was a nice sized shrub with only a single bloom. Think I prefer mine!
Missed the majority of Itohs this year but they'll be bigger and better next. I had several that were nice sized bushes but no buds at all, hopefully won't have a repeat spring 2017!

Garden Treasure is a beauty, Liz. It is too bad you missed the other Itoh blooms, but as you said ... next year

Julia Rose has recovered from a disastrous spring (2013) along with Cora Louise but had no buds this year. CL has several really nice ones. Hopefully JR will follow suit next year.

I am busily trying to figure out where I can plant another 22 peonies. I really don't want to jam them together. I want to plant other things that complement them like lilies, columbine, any other things I see here. Even poppies. Other wise I will have a wonderful show for about 5 weeks in spring then no flowers at all.

Struggling with the same problem here, Mary--that's why I got interested in dahlias!