Peony Registry

Rose red with ruffled petals. Seedling # 516/3.

Note: 2025 Award of Distinction recipient.

‘PERFECTION‘ is a woody peony from the Lutea Hybrid Group. Selected and grown by Derek Irvine, the plant was grown from seed originating from a cross of ‘Black Forest’ x ‘Rosalind Elsie Franklin’, which Bill Seidl made in the 1990’s.  In 2001 it was introduced and registered by Jane and Trevor Sutherland of Timaru, New Zealand under the name ‘PERFECTION‘.  The cultivar serves as a prime example of Bill Seidl’s hybridizing work with advanced generation lutea hybrids. This cultivar is celebrated for its excellent plant habit, stunning clear color, and remarkable flower form.  Appropriately named, the cultivar has a cream base color which is heavily, and variably, overlaid with red and coral pigments (difficult to describe).  Flowers are semi-double and are carried in an upright position on sturdy stems, which is fairly unique within the Lutea Hybrid Group.  Petals are curved, notched and ruffled to create a very full presentation.  Stem hardiness is better than average in the coldest climates in which Lutea Hybrids are grown.  Adult height may be 4 ½ feet and plants may attain a width of more than 5 feet.  Plants are annually productive bloomers and are reliable in their growth.  Foliage is deep green and leaflets are spaced beautifully along the petioles. Due to outstanding plant habits, this cultivar is suitable for landscape purposes – in or out of bloom. For the hybridizer, ‘PERFECTION‘ is fertile both ways with compatible parents. Plants are of easy culture and may be grafted with minimal effort.  In warmer locations rapid growth may allow for “own root” divisions.