Lotus Bloom

‘Lotus Bloom’ after a downpour.  Flowers were beaten down but the foliage remained upright.

Silvia Saunders referred to the “exotic buds” of this peony, presumably due both to the fringed petals and white streaks.  There are several Saunders peonies (and newer ones like ‘Pink Patterns’) with a distinct white flare on the back of the unopened petals.  Always lovely!

I would almost describe the look of this flower as “flouncy” due to the fringed edges of the outermost petals. Truly a distinctive peony flower.

Cultivar: Lotus Bloom
Year: 1943
Seedling No: 15092. Page 163 of Saunders’ Notebook I
Parentage: 8A: ‘Otto Froebel’ X lactiflora
Flower: Color: bright pink with darker pink streaks throughout
Form: single to semi-double, large flat bloom, with fringed edges
Blooms: Week 4
Carpels: 3-4, medium green, glabrous
Stigmas: bright dark pink
Disc: white, obscure
Stamens: filaments light yellow
Plant: Habit: upright bush
Foliage color: medium green
Foliage form: medium sized, pointed leaves, some notched, some curly stems in 2020, also in 2022 so may be typical
Height: tall (reported); 34″ in 2021
Recommendation: Highly recommended, worth seeking out
Availability: Few specialty nurseries