Banquet
This coloration is fairly unique among Saunders woody peonies so it cannot readily be confused with any others. Hooray! I am intrigued by the reverse sides of the petals with their white flares.
The top photo showing a flower with a more semi-double form was chosen because the carpels and stigma are more visible but most flowers are more double as shown in the lower photo.
| Cultivar: | Banquet |
| Year: | 1941 |
| Seedling No: | 13026 L-D X crimson tree peony |
| Group: | Banquet |
| Flower: | Color: | strawberry red, white flares on back of petals lighten the overall color, dark central flares on innermost petals are mostly hidden |
| Form: | double, ruffled petals | |
| Blooms: | Week 5 | |
| Carpels: | 7 or more, green | |
| Stigmas: | pale pink | |
| Sheath: | pink (reported by Silvia Saunders as purple) | |
| Stamens: | filaments crimson (more numerous than in registration information) | |
| Plant: | Habit: | broad bush (70″ wide in 2021) |
| Foliage color: | medium green | |
| Foliage form: | slightly more narrow than many | |
| Height: | 43″ on 8 year old plant | |
| Recommendation: | Recommended |
| Availability: | Few specialty nurseries |