Merry Mayshine

The finely divided foliage is slightly wider than that of its tenuifolia parent and tends to last longer through the summer.  The plant is covered in numerous small blooms.  On May 29, 1933, Saunders recorded it as being “rather handsome” with “very hairy” carpels and a much darker color than ‘Smouthii’.

It was given the Award of Landscape Merit by the American Peony Society.

Cultivar: Merry Mayshine
Year: 1994 (Saunders/Smetana/Hollingsworth)
Seedling No: 8277. Page 196 of Saunders’ Notebook I
Parentage: lactiflora 1292 X tenuifolia
Flower: Color: red
Form: single, 2 rows of petals, flat flower form, about 5″ diameter
Blooms: Week 2 
Carpels: 3-4, light yellowish green, very woolly
Stigmas: red
Disc: creamy pink, obscure
Stamens: filaments pale yellow
Plant: Habit: rounded bush
Foliage color: medium green
Foliage form: very narrow leaves
Height: 24″ (reported); 28″ in 2021
Recommendation: Highly recommended
Availability: Several specialty nurseries