Peony Registry

Aquarius

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Cultivar
Aquarius
Originator
Bremer, Nate
Group
Lutea Hybrid
Date
2019
Country
USA, WI

Seedling No. NB32. Parentage: ‘Theresa Ann’ x ‘Autumn Harvest’. Advanced generation lutea hybrid. First bloomed 2008, first propagated 2010. Certificate of Merit at APS 2016 Exhibition. Heavy full DOUBLE of rose/yellow/cream/peach blends, the color resulting from a cream-colored base overlaid with varying amounts of pink. Flower size 6½ inches (17 cm), 3 blooms per stem. Wide outer guard petals, 2½ inches (6 cm) in width, with inner petals smaller and notched, but highly ruffled and twisted, thus giving fullness to the flower. Short red flares are obscured in the depths of the flower. Average of 3-5 carpels, light green, and sparsely hairy. Stigmas pink with normal anatomy. Pollen-bearing stamens with filaments red at the base, yellow at the ends. Sheath is light red. Fertile both ways, but pollen more reliably so. Deep green foliage, leaves wide and deeply cut, with slight red coloration on the upper surface of the petioles. Plants have upright growth habit, height to 36 inches (92 cm) in Wisconsin, but may lose stems in cold winters. These readily regrow from ground shoots. Flowers are displayed outward and somewhat downward under the weight of the large flowers. Flowers have an unusual strong citrus fragrance, which makes them ideal as cut flowers for floating in a bowl of water and filling a room with their aroma. The chosen name “Aquarius” is meant to suggest this use of the flower. It is a constellation of the zodiac whose name is Latin for “water-carrier” or “cup-carrier.”

Reference: 2019-DIR:39