Content
- 1 What does milky-flowered peony mean?
- 2 Full description of the milky-flowered peony
- 3 Varieties of milky-flowered peonies
- 4 Application in landscape design
- 5 Features of reproduction
- 6 Planting a milky-flowered peony
- 7 Care and cultivation of milky-flowered peonies
- 8 Pests and diseases
- 9 Healing properties of milky-flowered peonies
- 10 Conclusion
- 11 Reviews of milky-flowered peonies
Peony lactiflora is a herbaceous perennial. It belongs to the genus Peony and the Peony family. The plant is actively used in landscape design. Most garden peonies originate from this species, and the number of its varieties numbers several hundred.
What does milky-flowered peony mean?
The milky peony owes its name to the white and cream shades of its flowers. It was in this range that the plant had them in the wild and remained in many of its cultivated and hybrid varieties.
Some hybrids have bright colors, but they are still called milky-flowered.
Full description of the milky-flowered peony
In the wild, the flower grows mainly in Asia - China, Korea, Mongolia, Japan, and the Asian part of Russia. It prefers dry and open rocky slopes, valleys, river banks, and bushes. The characteristics of the milky-flowered peony are as follows:
- bare grooved stems, height 0.6-1.2 m, they branch at the top;
- tap root system, on the rhizomes there are brown thickenings in the shape of spindles;
- active root formation occurs twice - the 1st stage occurs in early spring simultaneously with the growth of shoots, the 2nd cycle - at the end of August, the process stops in the heat, resuming at 10-15 °C;
- the length of the double trifoliate leaves is 20-30 cm, the width is almost the same, they are elliptical or lanceolate, often pointed;
- foliage is dark, rich green;
- the top of the leaf blades is smooth and glossy, the bottom is lighter, rough and not pubescent;
- bracts are leaf-shaped, separate, whole;
- on flowering shoots there are 3-6, less often 9 buds;
- flowers are large, diameter 8-16 cm;
- the petals are white, pink, burgundy, and in some varieties red, perhaps a blurred spot of bright crimson color at the base;
- stamens are golden yellow, number up to 200 pieces;
- each flower has 5-10 petals;
- flowering occurs in May-June, the timing depends on the variety, which can be early, medium, late,
- fruiting occurs in September;
- Leathery-fleshy thick-walled leaflet fruits of 3-6 pieces are formed, first straight, then hooked and deflected;
- The seeds of the milky-flowered peony are oval in shape and brownish-brown or black in color.
There are many varieties of milky-flowered peony; the number of petals in their flowers can vary significantly, this creates a wide variety in volume and splendor
The milky-flowered peony is resistant to high and low temperatures and their changes. In Russia it is grown from the latitude of Arkhangelsk and further south. Due to winter hardiness, winter shelter is necessary only for young plants in the first year of planting.
The plant is popular due to its decorative effect.It has quite lush and beautiful foliage, so the bushes look attractive even outside the flowering period.
What is the difference between a herbaceous peony and a milky peony?
Many gardeners are interested in what the difference is between milky-flowering and herbaceous peonies. First you need to understand that there is a whole genus Paeonia. Its representatives are herbaceous or tree-like. According to The Plant List database, the milky-flowered peony is one of 36 species in the genus Paeonia. It is herbaceous along with peony officinalis (common), evasive, narrow-leaved, Crimean.
Varieties of milky-flowered peonies
The number of varieties of milk-flowering peony is in the hundreds. This is a variety of shades, different splendor and volume of flowers, hybrid forms. There are several particularly interesting varieties:
- Bowl of Cream has a spectacular look. The variety was bred in 1963. Height up to 0.8 m, flowering time is average. The diameter of the flowers is 18 cm. In addition to the shade of the petals, they are attractive with a magnificent aroma with notes of honey. Bowl of Cream is the champion of the US national exhibition.
The voluminous whitish-cream double flowers of this variety actually resemble bowls of cream, which is how Bowl of Cream is literally translated
- Francois Ortegat attracts with its rich red flowers. The height of the bushes is up to 1 m, the inflorescences are double, hemispherical. The diameter of the flowers is up to 14 cm, the aroma is delicate. Flowering is abundant, terms are average.
Officially, the presentation of Francois Ortegat took place in France back in 1850, then it was called a family heirloom, but whose name was not revealed
- The Blush Queen variety, bred in 1949, has an interesting coloration.“Ruddy Queen” is represented by an openwork bush, height 0.8-0.9 m. Large double inflorescences with a diameter of 15 cm with an exquisite aroma. The outer petals are large and wide, cream-colored. The middle layer is yellowish in tone, and the central narrow petals are light pink.
Blush Queen blooms early, at the end of the period the narrow central petals change color to light beige, almost white
- A striking representative of milk-flowering peonies is the Red Charm variety. Many narrow petals framed by several wide petals create magnificent volume. Semi-double flowers with a diameter of 20-25 cm of a deep red hue, do not fade in the sun. The height of the bush is 0.8-0.9 m.
Red Charm has repeatedly won at exhibitions, the variety is a hybrid, it was bred in America in 1944
- The pinkish-cream color of the petals of the Coral Beach variety really resembles the most beautiful coral beaches. The height of the bush reaches 1 m, the diameter of the flowers is 17-20 cm, the core is creamy yellow. The variety is hybrid.
Coral Beach has 3 buds per stem, so its decorative effect is maintained from the beginning of flowering in mid-May to its end in June
- Another original variety is Sorbet. It was called sherbet for its sweet aroma, and was developed in Holland. Height up to 1 m, flower diameter 18-20 cm. The variety is interesting for its 3-layer nature - alternating soft pink and creamy white petals.
Sorbet blooms in the first half of June, the peony petals are concave, and a kind of skirt is formed in the middle
- The Yellow variety gets its name from its creamy yellow double flowers, beautifully set off by red-orange stamens and dark green carved foliage. Flowering times are average, bush height is 0.7-0.9 m.
Sorbet blooms in the first half of June, the peony petals are concave, and a kind of skirt is formed in the middle
Application in landscape design
Cultivated species of milky-flowered peony are widely used in landscape design. Voluminous flowers and beautiful foliage look great in both single and group plantings. Thanks to the variety of varieties and flowering periods, you can create an interesting mix in one flower bed that will delight you with its decorative effect for up to 2 months.
Single bushes of milky-flowered peony allow you to place accents in green spaces
Lush milky-flowered peonies look beautiful near the water. These flowers can be planted at the entrance to the house, next to gazebos and benches.
Milky-flowered peonies can occupy the entire flowerbed and become an excellent center of a flower arrangement.
It is good to plant bushes along garden paths to frame and zone the area
Milky-flowered peony combines effectively with fragrant geranium. It should be planted next to white, cream, light pink varieties. The milky-flowered peony also goes well with other flowers: astilbe, godetia, irises, catnip, crocuses, lilies, daffodils, petunias, tulips, phlox, zinnia.
Milky-flowered peonies can be beautifully framed with asters, heuchera, mantle, primroses, and violets. You can plant flowers of the same color scheme or play with contrasts.
Milky-flowered peonies can be planted around a tall flower bed; outside of flowering, their foliage will create a beautiful frame, shading their neighbors
Features of reproduction
Milky-flowered peonies can be propagated in different ways. The most popular option is dividing the rhizomes. The photo of the roots of the milk-flowering peony shows that the branching is strong.Eyes are formed on them, from which new shoots develop. The bush can be divided when it is 3-4 years old.
The rhizome can fall apart on its own, but more often it must be divided with a sharp knife; the minimum cutting area is important, the number of buds corresponds to the volume of the roots
There are other methods of reproduction:
- cuttings;
- layering;
- seeds.
Propagation by cuttings attracts maximum results, but development is slow because flowering is observed only in the 5th year. Part of the rhizome with a dormant bud is separated in July, until September it takes root.
Breeders prefer to grow milky-flowered peony from seeds. The process is long, seedlings may appear only after a year, and flowering will begin in 4-5 years. Seeds are sown in August. The soil should be moist and loose. Freshly collected material germinates in the spring, but stale material can only produce results for 2-3 years.
The seeds of the milk-flowered peony are buried 5 cm. First they need a temperature of 15-30 °C, then 5-10 °C for 1.5-2 months. Thanks to this treatment, most of the material germinates in the spring, and the rest - a year later.
Planting a milky-flowered peony
For the successful cultivation of milk-flowering peonies, the following conditions are important:
- lighted place, there will be no good flowering in the shade;
- loamy soil;
- neutral acidity, if the soil is too acidic, then liming will save the situation - 0.25 kg of lime in each planting hole;
- good drainage and aeration, milky-flowered peony does not like waterlogging, damp and waterlogged soil;
- groundwater distance is at least 0.9 m, otherwise you need to make a high bed or take care of drainage ditches.
If the soil is clayey, then you need to add peat, sand and humus.Wood ash, sand and organic matter are added to peat soil. Sandy soil is optimized with peat, humus and clay.
It is better to plan planting and transplantation at the end of August. They do it like this:
- Dig a square hole with a side of 0.6 m, leaving 0.1 m between plants.
- At the bottom, arrange drainage - coarse sand or small crushed stone.
- Make a nutrient layer of 0.3 m - 0.3 kg of wood ash, 0.2 kg of superphosphate, 0.1 kg of lime and potassium sulfate, humus and compost.
- Fill the hole with soil and wait a week.
- Plant the bushes and lightly compact the soil.
Attention! Milky-flowered peonies should not be deeply buried, otherwise flowering will be poor.
Milky-flowered varieties should be planted no later than mid-September, the plant should have time to get accustomed to frosts
Spring planting is not recommended. It is allowed if the material is of high quality. In early spring, it is better to keep the milky-flowered peony in a dark and damp basement in a flowerpot, and in early May plant it in open ground with a pot. The bush is placed in a permanent place in the fall.
Care and cultivation of milky-flowered peonies
Agricultural technology for milky-flowered peony involves the following steps:
- Regular watering. It should be quite rare, but plentiful. In the second half of summer, the plant needs more moisture - 8-10 liters per bush.
- Loosening and weeding.
- Feeding is carried out 3 times a year. In mid-May, the bushes are fertilized with urea, dissolving 50 g of the product in 10 liters of water. At the beginning of summer, before flowering, they use the same, but add microfertilizers. They are also used for the third time, when the peonies fade. Mineral fertilizers must be used carefully, since their excess has a bad effect on the development of buds.
When cutting, leave at least half of the flowers and 2 lower leaves. The above-ground part of the bush should not be cut off before September. Do this before frost, remove the stems and leaves. Strong foliage can be left, but covered for the winter.
Pests and diseases
When growing milky-flowered peonies, some problems may arise. One of them is gray rot. It usually appears in mid-May. Affected plants should be removed and burned, the rest should be sprayed with copper sulfate (50 g per bucket) or garlic infusion (0.1 kg of garlic per 10 liters of water).
The cause of gray rot may be too close proximity of bushes, rainy weather, or excess nitrogen
Another problem with milky-flowered peony is spotting. It can be ring-shaped (mosaic) or brown. The first appears as stripes, rings, half rings of various shapes of light green, yellow-green or yellow on the leaves. Brown spotting occurs in the first half of summer and is expressed by large spots of brown, brown or dark purple shades.
For the treatment and prevention of spotting, Bordeaux mixture, Fitosporin-M, copper oxychloride are used, treatments are carried out twice - in the spring and before budding
Another common disease of milky-flowered peony is rust. It most often appears after flowering and is expressed by brown, yellowish-brown or brown spots on the outside of the leaves. To combat the disease, Bordeaux mixture, colloidal sulfur preparations, and copper-soap solution are used.
When rust occurs, yellowish-brown or orange pads with fungal spores appear on the underside of the leaves.
Milky-flowered peonies and pests suffer. Among them, ants are a common problem.They appear on unopened buds and flowers. To combat the pest, poisonous baits, traps, and special preparations are used - Karbofos, Intavir, Thunder, Anteater, Trap.
Ants damage buds, deform them, and transmit fungal diseases
Another enemy of the milky-flowered peony is golden bronze. The beetle is golden-green on top and the abdomen is copper-red. Pests are collected by hand. This should be done early in the morning.
The size of the golden bronze reaches 1.8-2.3 cm; the beetle feeds on petals, stamens, pistils, and the edges of young leaves
Thrips also harm milk-flowering peonies. They are very small in size and the pest survives the winter well. You need to fight it with a solution of karbofos (0.2%), tincture of yarrow, dandelion.
Thrips feed on the plant juices of milk-flowering peonies; they cause particular harm during the budding period
Milky-flowered peonies are also harmed by root nematodes. Plants damaged by these worms must be destroyed; they can no longer be saved. After this measure, disinfection of the land is necessary.
When affected by nematodes, swollen nodes appear on the roots of the milky-flowered peony, the pest lives inside them
Healing properties of milky-flowered peonies
Milky-flowered peony has medicinal properties. It is used in folk, Japanese, and traditional Chinese medicine. The benefits of the plant are largely due to the pioniflorin in its composition. The healing properties are as follows:
- decrease in temperature;
- relieving pain, spasms;
- strengthening the immune system;
- stopping bleeding;
- prevention of coronary heart disease, dementia;
- elimination of pigmentation, acne;
- positive effect on the cardiovascular system, prevention of its pathologies.
Conclusion
Peony lactiflora is a herbaceous perennial that has been cultivated for several centuries. There are many varieties of it in various shades, shapes and sizes of petals. The milky-flowered peony is used in landscape design, and its healing properties are used in folk and oriental medicine. Growing the plant is not difficult if you follow certain rules.
