Peony Registry

Seedling Number: 18C-56. Parentage: ‘Westerner’ open pollinated. First bloomed 2015, first propagated 2019. Midseason blooming, bomb-shaped DOUBLE flowers are white (RHS NN155C), with very light shades of pink overlaid on outer guard petals, and occasional deep red-purple flecks appearing in the central petallage (70D). Flowers are 15cm (5.9″) in diameter, upward facing, and average two to three per stem. Fragrance noted. Guard petals are notched, and average 4cm (1.5″) in width. No carpels. Stamens where present are 1-2cm (0.5-0.75″); filaments are yellow with yellow tips and anthers (13A to 11C), occasional transformation to spatulate staminodes is apparent. Produces viable pollen. Plants reach 100cm (39.5″) at maturity, and carry finely-cut, green foliage. Growth habit is upright, and mechanical support is unnecessary. Discovered as a seedling growing in the garden of Estonian plant collector, Sulev Savisaar, from open-pollinated seed collected from ‘Westerner’ (Bigger, 1937). Named for the grandmother of peony collector, Marika Vartla.