Clearly the Professor over produced peony hybrids.

So, my question is what is your favorite Saunder's peony.

Can't do just one? OK top 3.

My top 3 favorites of all the ones in my garden are
Alexander Woollcott
Winged Victory
Athena

The other peonies that I don't have but on my wish list are Blushing Princess and Tranquil Dove. I think if I grow these two, they would rank second and third on my top 3 list.

Alexander Woollcott, hands down favorite.

Singles are not really peonies are they?

Paeonia 'Horizon', 2016

Frank, are you being facetious?

I got Alexander Wolcott last Fall. Can't wait to see it bloom since so many are saying it's their favorite!

I also, LG! I hope to see the first flower soon!

It's a gorgeous shade of red. You will love it. Make a great cut flower too. I am not much of a writer so I hope the writer of this post on houzz would not mind that I share his description of AW peony here. His description of AW is spot on. The only negative thing about it is that the flowers do not handle heat well.

"Another red to add to the list is ALEXANDER WOOLLCOTT (Saunders, 1941). As the petals unfurl, the bloom looks almost like a red camelia. When fully open, they form into a gorgeous red cup of layer after layer of red ruffles surrounding a crop of yellow stamens - imagine a poppy crossed with a rugosa rose. The chief virtue of Alexander Wolllcott is that its red is a true red, and stays red through and through. It will not fade to magenta. Alexander Woolcott is an early season bloomer for us here in New Jersey. (However with our cool springs here, our early season weeks often equate roughly to mid-season in other areas). Sadly this peony is not fragrant. It is a great choice though if you would like to be assured of Red Peonies (or Pfingstrosen, as they are called in German)for Pentecost even when it falls early."

Alexander Woollcott
Cytheria
Whatever Saunder's is blooming at the time because I love them all!
Added Audrey and Janice last fall, really hoping for a bloom this year. Descriptions and pics make me think they'll be usurping Alexander and Cytheria as favs!

What a lovely description, Karen!

You know I will post a pic if it blooms this year!

I do like Athena...

Paeonia 'Athena' (Saunders, 1949) is an extra early blooming quadruple hybrid, a hybrid composed of four different peony species: lactiflora, officinalis, macrophylla and mlokosewitschi.  An ivory-white single with raspberry flares. Gold stamens and bright green carpels with rosy pink tips. No sidebuds. Professor A.P. Saunders (1869-1953) is commonly known as the father of inter-species herbaceous hybrid peonies. He introduced around 300 hybrid peonies with the median distribution occurring in 1941.

Does professor Saunders earn lots of money from so many cultivars?

I don't know how that works in the peony world, there are only a couple of peonies that I've ever heard of that has any kind of trademark or patent. I don't know if any of the surviving family, or even if there is any surviving family, is in the peony business. I think most growers/hybridizers are lucky to make a lifestyle sustaining wage from creating and selling their introductions and I don't think many are rich except maybe some of the big corporations that buy out the family business.....I guess if a hybridizer sells off a big collection to another grower it's going to be quite a bit of money but deservedly so--the years of work and capital tied up in creating that inventory would be significant.

Has anyone seed Eliza Lundy for sale? what about Lois' Choice?

Oberon46 said:Has anyone seed Eliza Lundy for sale? what about Lois' Choice?

Here's Eliza...

No really on sale, just available:
Eliza Lundy - also Swenson's and Gold City Flowers ($25), Hidden Springs ($28.99), Solaris ($28).

Lois' Choice - Brooks ($85), Adelman's and hollingsworthpeonies ($90),

Thanks Anya and LG. I bought Lois' Choice from Hollingsworth. I can't make up my mind about Eliza Lundy. I want to keep up the collection at the botanical garden as they have all the Gold Medal winners but some of the tree peonies. We are still testing to see how they do here. I just don't see EL being better than say Red Charm. At least it isn't very expensive. I am sure that LC will be much less expensive in a year or so.

LC has been around for a a while at the same high price, I hope it will be cheaper soon. I don't know if it increases fast or slow. To me the flower looks too much multicolored but people admire it and I trust their opinion, would love to see it in person.

EL is just shorter than Red Charm and it is its main advantage I guess. Would be interesting to compare it with RC in person.

I believe LC doesn't multiply quickly, plus it has strong stems so it may be in demand as a cut flower variety.
The good thing about you two going to the APS Convention this year is that you will get to see so many Peonies in real life!

with LG! You may have to expand your garden, Mary and Anya! Seeing so many beautiful peonies at the convention may make it very hard for you to choose and you may end up adding them all to your garden.