2019 Fake Chinese Tree Peonies on Ebay

Herbaceous Foliage, Fake Chinese Tree Peonies
Remember those tree peonies on Ebay I just had to have (2019 Planting Chinese Peonies from Ebay)? This is probably not a surprise to anyone, but they were fakes. :-( That's too bad since I have never seen that fully double bomb type purple tree peony offered for sale in the US before. I still would really like to be able to grow it. One of my readers seems like they may have a lead on it for me. So let's see if I am ever able to acquire one. I just wanted to let you all know in case you thought about buying one. They are just herbaceous peony roots. I don't know what color they might be, but all 4 roots I received appear to be the same herbaceous peony or rootstock.


Herbaceous Foliage, Fake Chinese Tree Peonies
I guess the only interesting thing about these peony roots is that they came with a couple of lily bulb sections in the box (accidental or bonus - I'm not sure). So I decided to plant them to see if they would grow. As you can see they did grow, but I'm guessing it might be a while before they turn into blooming plants. I am curious to see what kind of of lily they are and what color they will bloom. I guess I can say the same thing for the peonies as well. Only time will tell if they are anything of value that is worth growing. My guess is they will be a hot pink single, but who knows?


Herbaceous Foliage, Fake Chinese Tree Peonies
Lily Bulb Sprouts Growing in the Center

2019 Spring Hill Nursery Peony Order Arrives

Spring Hill Nursery Intersectional Peony Order
I must say I was quite impressed when my Spring Hill Nursery order arrived that I had placed last fall, 2018 Strawberry Crème Brûlée Intersectional Peony at Spring Hill Nursery. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Honestly I think I was expecting bare root peonies that would have a hard time establishing themselves. However they actually sent growing plants that we in approximately quart sized pots, with several sets of leaves on each plant. The plants were packaged quite well, and I actually left them in the box a day longer than they should have been since I didn't open the box the first day it arrived. They still were doing well and had plenty of moisture in the soil.


Spring Hill Nursery Intersectional Peony Order
Some of the leaves were a bit bent. I'm not sure if that is from their shipping journey or perhaps just being grown in close quarters with their friends and getting a bit tangles up. Perhaps the packers had a hard time untangling them before boxing them up. I'm not sure. So they are a bit tired, and probably won't grow much more this year, but at least they have been grown well and have nice foliage on them. The black pots were bagged up with white bags and twist ties. One of the plants actually had a small immature leaf shoot trying to grow underneath the bag. I'm hoping it will still be able to grow now that I've unbagged them.


Spring Hill Nursery Intersectional Peony Order
I really am looking forward to seeing these bloom. I am hoping they are all the correct varieties purchased. One advantage of having these intersectional peonies shipped as potted plants with foliage growing already is that you can tell that they actually are intersectional peonies. So I know they've gotten one thing right. That leads me to believe that perhaps these will be the correct cultivars (fingers crossed). However these are definitely small plants (most likely cloned) because come on what peony root division is going to fit in a 4 inch pot? But I don't care if they are cloned, as long as they're the right plant! We shall see. Also the 'Strawberry Creme Brulee' Intersectional peony appears to have "strawberry" pinkish colored stems, while 'Oochigeas' and 'Pastel Lilas' do not. So it seems like I have more than one variety here as well. Since they are small plants, it may take several years for them to bloom. Let's hope it's worth the wait!


Spring Hill Nursery Intersectional Peony Order

2019 Planting Chinese Peonies from Ebay

Chinese Tree Peony Order on Ebay
So I ordered these tree peonies on Ebay last August, and I just got around to planting them on the first of the year. I guess you could say I'm thinking these probably won't be correct. There weren't cheap, but they weren't that expensive either. Each of the orders was for 2 roots and it was $22.99 with free shipping. So I ended up with 4 roots altogether, but after opening the box and looking at the roots, I wasn't very motivated to plant them since they didn't really look like tree peonies to me. They looked like herbaceous roots. Also all 4 roots were in the same bag, and none of them were labeled for variety. I figured these were probably too good to be true, but I haven't seen anyone else offering tree peonies like these, and I actually did see the purple tree peony on my trip to China, 2018 Southern Peony Visits Shenzhou Peony Garden 神州牡丹园, (and it was my most favorite peony that I saw on the whole trip).


Chinese Purple Tree Peony
The color of the purple tree peony I photographed is not quite this blue toned (so obviously this photo was altered), but it was a lovely shade of lavender-pink-purple and it has this same "bomb" type peony flower form. So I had to try anyway since I really, really want one of those purple tree peonies. Who knows if I will ever find one, though? The roots however were a solid mass of crown with tons of eyes on them, no woody stems, and very little to no feeder roots. I'm sure they will live, but they will probably take many years to flower, and most likely they will be some type of herbaceous peony. I feel a little disappointed already, but my quest for the purple bomb type tree peony will go on, and I will just add the results of these roots to my 2018 Ebay Peony Seller Reviews, whenever they bloom and show their true colors!


'Qui Ball' Light Pink Tree Peony

2018 Strawberry Crème Brûlée Intersectional Peony at Spring Hill Nursery

I have been looking for 'Strawberry Crème Brûlée' Intersectional Peony for a few years now. I never wrote about it on here before since it was a sad story, but a reader of mine gave me a hint about where he had purchased some of his intersectional peonies - from a nursery in Canada called Select Plus Lilac Nursery. I placed a small order for three small intersectional peony roots, one of the varieties being 'Strawberry Crème Brûlée'. Sadly I never received my peony root order since the owner and proprietor of the nursery passed away before my order was scheduled to ship. :(


Spring Hill Nursery
Unregistered Intersectional Peony Offerings
That was in 2015. For some reason I just decided to search for 'Strawberry Creme Brulee' peony again this fall, and I found it at Spring Hill Nursery. I have ordered a couple peonies from Spring Hill Nursery in the past, a long, long time ago (2005), and the peonies I ordered seemed to be labeled correctly. So I thought I might take a chance on this one too. Intersectional Peony 'Strawberry Crème Brûlée' was hybridized by Don R. Smith, but it does not appear to have ever been registered. While I was poking around the Spring Hill web site, I noticed they had two other Itoh peonies I had never heard of for sale, 'Oochigeas' Itoh Peony and 'Pastel Lilas' Itoh Peony. I'm wondering if these two varieties are also Don Smith introductions that have never been formally registered with the APS. I guess you could say my curiosity got the better of me... I had to place an order. :P (If your curiosity is piqued as well, Spring Hill Nursery also has coupons out for $100 off $200. So find a small item to put in your basket with these to save almost 50% off.)

2018 Intersectional Peony 'Luxuriant' Arrives from Ebay

Intersectional Peony 'Luxuriant' Root from Ebay
The 2018 Intersectional Peony 'Luxuriant' on Ebay that I ordered last week arrived yesterday. The root itself, not just the variety, was luxuriant as well. This root was huge! It was advertised as a 6-7 eye root, but it actually had more like 8-9 eyes on it. It was quite long and quite heavy as well. The root measured over 10 inches, with a stem at the top as well, bringing the total length to over 13 inches. The root itself was quite firm, seemingly freshly dug. I'm hoping this one will establish quickly. It would be nice to get a bloom from this Intersectional Peony 'Luxuriant' this coming spring 2019, but we'll see. I'm guessing that might depend on what kind of winter and spring warm up we get around here.


Intersectional Peony 'Luxuriant' Eyes
The root was packed very well in peat, and not one piece of it broke off during shipment. It was shipped via USPS Priority Mail and arrived here within 3 days of shipment. The bright pink eyes on this root are very firm and full. It definitely looks ready to grow. I made it a nice spot in my intersectional peony bed, dug in a bit of organic top soil, a scoop of natural fertilizer and a small scoop of lime. I also mixed in the peat that it was shipped in, to add a bit more organic matter to the soil as well. Let's see what this beauty brings next spring...


Intersectional Peony 'Luxuriant' Close Up

Intersectional Peony 'Luxuriant' Planted

2018 Intersectional Peony 'Luxuriant' on Ebay

When I saw the chance to pick up Intersectional Peony 'Luxuriant' on Ebay for a better price than I've yet to see on my 2018 Intersectional Peony Catalog Price Comparison List, I jumped. Also I have purchased from this seller, jackshouse2008, before. So I'm hoping this will be another positive experience as well. As you can see from my 2018 Ebay Peony Seller Reviews, I purchased Intersectional Peony 'Lemon Dream' from them in 2014, and it turned out to be correct. I featured some photos of that Peony 'Lemon Dream' in my 2018 How to Take Awesome Photos of Peonies (or Any Other Flower) article.


Intersectional Peony 'Luxuriant' on Ebay
I have never grown peony 'Luxuriant' before. So I am excited to try it. The coloring of it looks similar to intersectional peony 'Cora Louise', perhaps with a slight more tinge of pink. The petals appear to be more symmetrical and even, fewer of them, with perhaps more substance. You can only tell so much from a photo, but I am excited to take some photos of my own. Intersectional Peony 'Luxuriant' was hybridized by Roger Anderson and registered in 1986. I'm surprised it's not in wider distribution by now, since it looks like quite a nice intersectional peony flower.

I don't see another Peony 'Luxuriant' on Ebay from jackshouse2008 for sale right now, but I do see a couple other peonies. They are currently selling Peony 'Lemon Chiffon', which I highly recommend if you don't yet grow it. They are also selling Intersectional Peony 'Chief Black Hawk', which I do not yet grow. I'd be curious to grow this one since it is supposed to be quite dark in coloring, but the price is still quite expensive. So I have not yet tried it. They also have a Paeonia lutea 'delavayi' yellow peony for sale. I haven't had much luck with P. delavayis yet, but I would like to keep trying. Perhaps I will order this one in the future. They seem to grow so well in Austria, 2016 University of Vienna Botanical Garden Peonies, (almost as tall as me!), that I feel encouraged to try them again at some point...

2018 Peony Growers Root Size Comparison

I haven't really compared peony vendors since my 2009 Fall Peony Orders article. So it has been almost 10 years! Since I ordered a couple peony roots from so many different vendors this year, I thought it would be nice to do another comparison to see what people are sending out nowadays and how they stack up. Also a couple of caveats here. Different peony cultivars could have larger or smaller roots, so this is just a general guide - although some vendors do routinely sent much larger roots. (HINT: Check the box sizes - they usually correspond to how large or small the peony growers trim their roots.) Also the length of the peony roots is measured, but not the width (which does matter too). Perhaps next time, I will weigh them to see how "much" peony you're actually getting -- too late now since most of these have been planted. I think most people have measured peony roots on the number of eyes they have, but the more root they have to go with it, the better they will grow!

* These peony growers are listed in alphabetical order.

Adelman Peony Gardens

Adelman Peony Gardens - 10.5" Root Size
Size of Root: 10.5 inches Packing Material: Peat Shipping Carrier: USPS Priority Mail (1-3 Days) Box Size: large, 12 x 12 x 6 Large Flat Rate Box Shipping Cost: $12.95 Peonies in Box: 2 (1 APS Auction root shipped free in the same box)

Brooks Gardens

Brooks Gardens - 9" Root Size
Size of Root: 9 inches Packing Material: Peat Shipping Carrier: USPS Priority Mail (1-3 Days) Box Size: small, 10 x 7 x 5 Regional Rate Box A Shipping Cost: $8.00 Peonies in Box: 2

Fina Gardens

Fina Gardens - 8.5" Root Size
Size of Root: 8.5 inches Packing Material: Peat Shipping Carrier: USPS Priority Mail (1-3 Days) Box Size: small, 10 x 7 x 5 Regional Rate Box A Shipping Cost: $14.00 Peonies in Box: 2

Hidden Springs Flower Farm

Hidden Springs Flower Farm - 8" Root Size
Size of Root: 8 inches Packing Material: Wood Chips, Shredded Newspaper Shipping Carrier: USPS Priority Mail (1-3 Days) Box Size: small, 10 x 7 x 5 Regional Rate Box A Shipping Cost: $18.00 Peonies in Box: 3

Hollingsworth Peonies

Hollingsworth Peonies - 11" Root Size
Size of Root: 11 inches Packing Material: Peat Shipping Carrier: USPS Priority Mail (1-3 Days) Box Size: medium, 11 x 8 x 6 Medium Flat Rate Box Shipping Cost: $18.50 Peonies in Box: 2

Solaris Farms

Solaris Farms - 7" Root Size
Size of Root: 7 inches Packing Material: Peat Shipping Carrier: USPS Priority Mail (1-3 Days) Box Size: medium, 11 x 8 x 6 Medium Flat Rate Box Shipping Cost: $18.00 Peonies in Box: 4

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow - 7" Root Size
Size of Root: 7 inches Packing Material: Sphagnum Moss Shipping Carrier: UPS Ground (4-7 Days) Box Size: small, 8 x 8 x 8 Shipping Cost: $27.25 Peonies in Box: 4

2018 Brooks Gardens Peonies 15%/20% Off Special Sale

Brooks Gardens Peonies 15%/20% Off Special Sale
If you missed your chance at winning a root at this year's 2018 American Peony Society Fall Auction, another peony grower just started their fall sale, Brooks Gardens Peonies. It looks like the Brooks Gardens Peonies Special Sale is good through the end of October. So get your treats now, so you won't feel tricked come October 31st! :-) They used to offer free shipping as their fall sale, but now they seem to offer a 15% to 20% discount depending on how much you order. I decided take the plunge and go for Peony 'Lois' Choice', the 2017 APS Gold Medal Winner (pictured in their sale flyer here). I usually purchase the APS Gold Medal Winner every year, but hadn't gotten this one yet because of the price. Brooks already had the lowest price, 2018 Herbaceous Hot 100 Peony Catalog Price Comparison List, and with an extra discount, who could resist?


Peony 'Chiffon Clouds'
Brooks Gardens Peonies 15%/20% Off Sale
I also snagged a root of Peony 'Chiffon Clouds'. I've been wanting this peony since 2016 when the APS Convention attendees toured Klehm's Song Sparrow, and I saw it in their field. It really reminds me of Peony 'Silvia Saunders', which I've been wanting so badly since 2016 Peony on My Wish List 'Silvia Saunders'. Peony 'Chiffon Clouds' may be a little bit more white than Peony 'Silvia Saunders', but they both have the pale pink fading to white going on. Also the photo that Brooks Gardens has on their web site really does not do this peony justice. These are photos I took of Peony 'Chiffon Clouds' when we took the 2016 APS Peony Convention Tour of Song Sparrow. As you can see Peony 'Chiffon Clouds' is just amazing. It's like a sky FULL of fluffy white peony blossom clouds!
Peony 'Chiffon Clouds'
Brooks Gardens Peonies 15%/20% Off Sale

2018 Last Chance Peony Sale @ Hidden Springs Flower Farm

Hidden Springs Flower Farm Last Chance Peony Sale Order
If you did not notice yet, Hidden Springs Flower Farm just released their Last Chance Peony Sale list. I believe they put a sale list up every year at the end of the season, but you never know what's going to be on this list (or when it's going to come out). I think this is a great way to pull in a few extra orders at the end of the season, plus give people an opportunity to order peonies they may not have gotten the chance to order earlier. This year I decided to pick up three pink colored peonies - Peony 'Joker', Peony 'Juliska', and Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt'. I really love the picotee edge on the Peony 'Joker'. I've been seeing lots of photos of this one, and it has been on my "Want List". Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt' is a classic double light pink peony, which I don't grow well right now. So I'd like to give her a better place in the garden and a better chance to thrive.


Hidden Springs Flower Farm
Sells Peony 'Juliska' on Sale for $68.00!
However I think the real story here is Peony 'Juliska' on sale for $68.00! This peony was fetching $80-$100 a root last year, according to our 2017 Herbaceous Hot 100 Peony Catalog Price Comparison List. This is an even better price than the originator Solaris Farms sells it for this year ($75.00), according to our 2018 Herbaceous Hot 100 Peony Catalog Price Comparison List. This Peony 'Juliska' was hybridized by the late Bill Seidl and Nate Bremer (owner of Solaris Farms), a promising duo that have produced many advanced herbaceous and tree peony hybrids.


Hidden Springs Flower Farm
SOLD OUT Peony 'Bob' on Sale for $112.49!
And there's always the one that got away... The first peony I noticed and tried to put in my cart was Peony 'Bob', a rarely offered dark red, almost black peony. However the system told me it was already sold out, how disappointing. Well, I suppose there's always next year... Check out all of the Last Chance Sale offerings on the Hidden Springs Flower Farm list, you may find something you've been looking for!

2018 Fall Peony Sale @ Song Sparrow

Klehm's Song Sparrow Peony Sale
It's that time of year, fall peony sale time. If you haven't ordered any roots yet this year, now's the time to squeeze in your last minute orders. I got an email yesterday with information on Song Sparrow's fall sale. It looks like they have 7 peony cultivars on sale this year. Of the 7 cultivars on sale, I only grow 2 of them - Peony 'Scarlet O'Hara' and Peony 'Green Lotus'. Both of those peonies are actually stellar growers here in the South. Peony 'Scarlet O' Hara' makes a nice bush with nicely distributed bright red single blooms, named after the famous Southern belle of Gone with the Wind. You have to really love wild and crazy and/or unusual blooms (which I do) to love Peony 'Green Lotus'. Peony 'Green Lotus' makes a nice bush that is covered in green and white (with hints of pink), irregular shaped blooms with crinkled petals.


2018 Song Sparrow Peony Order
I had just actually placed an order with Klehm's a few days ago. I ordered Peony 'Ursa Minor' because of how beautiful it this year when the 2018 American Peony Society Tours Oregon Perennial Company. Seeing as Klehm was the original hybridizer of the plant, I figured Klehm's Song Sparrow was the best place to buy it! I've also been wanting Tree Peony 'Joseph Rock' for a while now, and I decided that now was the time to order it.. I really love how double the blooms are, and I'm really excited to try growing it. Another one of the 7 cultivars on sale their fall sale caught my eye as well. It is Peony 'Glowing Candles'. The color of it is just gorgeous, and I also love the symmetry. The small puffs of pale pink in the center of the flower are a nice bonus too. I'm hoping I can add this one to my existing order. :-) Let's see...


Peony 'Glowing Candles'

2018 Fina Gardens Order Peony 'Nice Gal' and Peony 'Super Gal'

2018 Fina Gardens Order
The first peony order I'm placing after returning from the 2018 American Peony Society Convention in Portland, Oregon is with Fina Gardens for Peony 'Nice Gal' and Peony 'Super Gal'. No, Fina Gardens wasn't on the APS Convention Tour, (they're in Wisconsin, not Oregon) but they do have peony I saw on the tour, plus another similarly named one I'd seen on a previous APS Convention Tour. I just saw the Peony 'Super Gal' during the 2018 American Peony Society Tours Oregon Perennial Company. This peony was growing in Piet's personal garden right next to his home, and I really loved it. The photo below is one I took in his garden during the tour. Gorgeous, right?
Peony 'Super Gal'
2018 American Peony Society Oregon Perennial Company Tour
It reminded me of the Peony 'Nice Gal' that I had seen in Kentucky during the 2015 American Peony Society Whitehall Mansion Tour. According the the APS Cultivar Registry, Peony 'Nice Gal' was hybridized by Krekler and registered in 1965. Peony 'Terrific Gal' and Peony 'Super Gal' are both hybridized by Klehm and were registered in 1995 and 2000, respectively. I'm wondering if Peony 'Nice Gal' was one of the parents in the Klehm hybrids, since the APS registrations don't reveal that detail. Moreover, it seems that Peony 'Nice Gal' and Peony 'Super Gal' seem to be my favorites out of the bunch. So I was happy to be able to place an order with Fina Gardens for both of these "gals" at the same time. Also I don't think I've ever placed an order with Fina Gardens before. So this will be a good opportunity to evaluate their goods.
Peony 'Nice Gal'
2015 American Peony Society Whitehall Mansion Tour