Paeonia veitchii Seeds | Veitch’s Peony
LATIN NAME: Paeonia veitchii
COMMON NAME: Veitch’s Peony
Plant Profile
Paeonia veitchii is a herbaceous peony from the alpine meadows of western Sichuan, and it is smaller and more delicate than the garden peonies of the border. It grows to about sixty centimetres, with deeply cut, dark green leaves and a cluster of two or three flowers on each stem rather than a single bloom. The flowers are a clear rose-pink, without the heavy ruff of the hybrids.
The species was collected by Ernest Wilson for Veitch’s nursery in 1908, and it has been in cultivation since. It grows in open grassland and on scrubby slopes between 2,500 and 3,500 metres, often in ground that is wet in spring and dry in autumn, and it dies back to the root in winter.
Science & Biotechnology
The genus is unusual in its chromosome behaviour. Paeonia has large chromosomes and a long meiosis, and the genus has been studied as a model for understanding how chromosomes pair. The herbaceous species are diploid or tetraploid, and P. veitchii is diploid, which is one reason it crosses readily with other herbaceous peonies.
The medicinal peony is a different species. Paeonia lactiflora root is the white peony of Chinese pharmacy, and Paeonia suffruticosa bark is the moutan or tree peony bark, both used for pain and for inflammation. The active compound is paeoniflorin, a monoterpene glycoside, and it has been studied for its effects on smooth muscle and on platelet aggregation. P. veitchii is an ornamental and is not the commercial source.
Uses & Benefits
The plant is grown in rock gardens and in the front of a border, where the cut foliage and the early flowers are the attraction. It is used in Chinese gardens less than the tree peony, and it is valued by collectors for the species form rather than for size of bloom.
In local Chinese practice the root is used as a tonic and as a treatment for menstrual pain, in the same way as other peonies, though the species is not one of the standard pharmacopoeial sources. The seed is occasionally sold for ornamental planting, and the flowers are used as a cut flower in the same way as other herbaceous peonies.
Growing from Seed
Seed should be sown fresh, in late summer, while it is still soft. It has a double dormancy: a warm period for root growth followed by cold for shoot growth, so germination comes in the second spring. Sow in a deep pot of loam and grit and leave it outdoors, never letting it dry out.
Plant the crown no more than three centimetres below the surface, since deep planting stops flowering. The species wants full sun, a well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter, and moisture in spring. It resents disturbance, so choose the site carefully: a clump can stay in place for twenty years without being lifted.
Our Take
A small, early peony for a sunny rock garden, with cut leaves and several flowers to a stem. Leave it undisturbed and it will outlast the fence.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Veitch’s Peony often pair it with these related subjects: