Requiem
If you like large white single flowers, this may be the one for you. It is more upright than many of the peonies with macrophylla heritage. ‘Requiem’ has a very beautiful “finished” flower. This plant does not produce pollen because the stamens have been converted to staminodes.
In 2021, this peony had an exceptionally long bloom time and has now become my favorite Saunders white peony.
| Cultivar: | Requiem |
| Year Registered: | 1941 |
| Seedling No: | 10993. Page 89 of Saunders’ Notebook I |
| Parentage: | 4C: lactiflora X (lactiflora X macrophylla) |
| Flower: | Color: | blush white, fading rapidly to white |
| Form: | single, 2 rows of petals, about 10, has sidebuds | |
| Blooms: | Week 5 | |
| Carpals: | 3-5, dark reddish green, woolly | |
| Stigmas: | crimson | |
| Disc: | rosy pink | |
| Stamens: | stamens are staminodes, filaments are red at base, shading to yellow | |
| Plant: | Habit: | upright |
| Foliage color: | medium green, glossy | |
| Foliage form: | large leaves | |
| Height: | 37″ (reported); 41″ in 2021 | |
| Recommendation: | Highly Recommended |
| Availability: | Few specialty nurseries |
