Frances
This peony appears among the APS registrations, but no date is given. The tinges of green often seen on the petals could be considered a fault but can help in its identification. Silvia Saunders wrote of a “warm glowing heart” referring to the masses of golden stamens on a fairly open flower.
There are also references in her notebook to a Frances I and a Frances II so there may be two forms being sold under the same name.
| Cultivar: | Frances |
| Year: | 1965 is the first appearance in a Saunders Nursery Catalogue |
| Seedling No: | 8167. Page 2 of Saunders’ Notebook I |
| Parentage: | 25: lactiflora X 1468 (officinalis ‘Sabini’ X macrophylla) |
| Flower: | Color: | rose pink, white flares on backs of petals, sometimes green tinged |
| Form: | single, 8 petals | |
| Blooms: | Week 4 or 5 | |
| Carpels: | 2-3, green, glabrous | |
| Stigmas: | dark pink | |
| Disc: | white, prominent | |
| Stamens: | filaments red at base, shading to yellow | |
| Plant: | Habit: | rounded bush |
| Foliage color: | medium green, shining | |
| Foliage form: | pointed leaves, somewhat incurved or fluted | |
| Height: | 30″ in 2021 | |
| Recommendation: | Recommended |
| Availability: | Rare |
