Helen Matthews
“I was hopeful that a plant I received as ‘Great Lady’ (not) might be ‘Helen Matthews’ but have now decided it is not. These photos are of plants in friends’ gardens.
William Krekler received this plant as a Saunders seedling (no. number) and named it for his stepmother. Mr. George Peyton wrote that he believed it to be “the most beautiful of all peonies” (APS Bulletin No. 196, P.43, 1970) . High praise indeed.
Perhaps in 2022, I will get the correct plant and be able to describe it more thoroughly.
| Cultivar: | Helen Matthews |
| Year: | 1953 (Saunders/Krekler) |
| Seedling No: | unknown |
| Parentage: | unknown but presumed to be a lactiflora X Lobata of Perry as Krekler received “lobata” seedlings from Saunders |
| Flower: | Color: | brilliant red |
| Form: | semi-double, cupped shape, very regular form | |
| Blooms: | Week 4 | |
| Carpels: | 3-4, light yellow green | |
| Stigmas: | pale pink | |
| Disc: | white | |
| Stamens: | filaments light yellow (should be red) | |
| Plant: | Habit: | upright |
| Foliage color: | medium green | |
| Foliage form: | leaves are lobed | |
| Height: | ||
| Recommendation: | Highly recommended |
| Availability: | Several specialty nurseries |