SD. E. Brilliant red. Herbaceous hybrid. No seedling number. Parentage unknown. The medium sized flower has several rows of exceptionally brilliant red guard petals with a center of yellow stamens, red filaments. The carpels are white-green with pink stigmas. It is of medium height with good stems and holds its cupped shape a long time.
The Peony Society - - - 1
Once called "An improved ‘Alexander Woollcott‘" by Al Rogers, another wonderful "true red" which for some unknown reason has not become widely grown. Does it have a tendency to suddenly and unexpectedly collapse from crown rot ? I had a plant of it that had been growing well, but disappeared from crown collapse over the winter one year, and have heard of the same thing happening in a friend of mine’s garden. At the same time, I have another plant of it that’s been growing happily for almost 20 years, and Adelmans had a spectacular row of it at their place that was growing as vigorously as any peony grows.
None the less, given it’s spectacular color, one is forced to wonder why Prof Saunders sold this off to Bill Krekler, rather than holding onto it himself. Whatever the case, it’s worth experimenting with if one can find it for sale, as it arguably has the best "Flag red" color of any more-than-single-flowered peony that’s currently available.