When synonyms fall apart - Paeonia triternata

This is one of my favourite species (they are all favourites, so this is saying either a lot or not much!). The foliage in particular is very unique in that the leaflets, which occur in 3 sets of 3, are twisting or undulating. They are a pleasant soft green right from the time of emerging, and carry their distinctiveness throughout the growing season, waxy in appearance and with a soft blue tint in some light conditions.

Some botanists include Paeonia triternata as a synonym of Paeonia daurica subsp daurica, which is also considered a synonym for yesterday's subject, P caucasica. Check the photos yourself and decide if they are horticulturally distinct. Oh yeah. The only obvious similarity to me is that both have leaflets arranged in 3 3's. It also has the synonym Paeonia mascula subsp triternata. Anyways, enough of that for today; as usual I will stick to the name on the seedpacket.

This second photo of the flower is a couple of days later than the first, and shows off the subtley ornate and beautiful radial striping on the petals. The colour stands out marvelously amongst the other pink to reddish species in concurrent bloom. First bloom here 28 May this year, 2 days earlier in the field and a day later in the woods.

This species is native to the Crimea and Turkey, where it grows in thickets and tending towards more moist sites. Here it is less vigorous than most species and is a smaller plant in my part shade bed and in the woodland. It's less happy in the open field although it has come into flower there a year later than in the shadier spots. But that could just be a moisture issue, since the field is dryish if not exactly dry.

Another of the mascula-like group - Paeonia caucasica

No points for guessing that Paeonia caucasica is native to the Caucasus mountains region, where it grows in forests, along forest margins, and in scrub. My plants are all grown from seed collected wild in the southeast of the Republic of Georgia.

The flowers have a crinkly crepe texture and are a good colour; first bloom was on 27 May this year. This species does well in my shade bed, but is more vigorous in part shade. Plants in the open field are smaller (no irrigation) and although about as vigorous as either amount of shade the flowers are quick to wilt in the full sun. The photos here were all taken in the partial shade bed.

Foliage is attractive with a bit of a bluish caste to it, moreso before flowering than after. This is another good garden and landscape subject, and even a few flowers brighten a patch of woodland.

Botanists agree to disagree as to whether it is a species in its own right, or is included in P daurica subsp daurica. This creates the following confusion: the latter synonym is shared with P ruprechtiana which we saw earlier, and also with P triternata which has yet to be featured. All are horticulturally distinct in my view and it would be a shame to grow only one of the 3, regardless of their botanical similarity.