I manage the peony collections at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London. We have just undertaken a wholesale redesign of our peony display garden, and I am particularly keen that it starts to better represent the diversity of species peonies. We currently grow around 25 different species and subspecies (both herbaceous and shrubby), and the new design is centred the phytogeography of these species plants – showing our visitors that they can be found in the wild, and are therefore endangered by environmental threats, and that the diversity of the garden plant originates in nature.
In terms of plants, we would be most interested in selfed or divided plants. I am going to start a process of verifying our collections, so having material true to form is best. If you can provide divisions that’s great, but seeds would be equally appreciated – we have nursery facilities here where we can grow things on before planting them out.
The species I’m most interested in are as follows:
P. sterniana
P. daurica ssp. velebitensis
P. morisii
P. mascula ssp. bodurii
P. flavescens
P. wendelboi
P. mascula ssp. hellenica
P. qiui
