Although there are many cultivated varieties of peony, we deal mainly with the pure species. These have single flowers, mainly red or pink, perhaps with white varieties, but there are also fabulous ones with pale yellow flowers. They are all herbaceous, and it is a delight to see the dark red noses of the new stems pushing through the ground in late winter, two or three where there was one the previous year, and soon a great clump of them.

Paeonia obovata var. alba is the white form of this species. This is the most commonly grown form, and with good reason, for it is an outstanding member of an outstanding clan. Large, pure white flowers are set off by red stamens with yellow anthers. Then in autumn it produces a second show, as the fat seed pods open to reveal shiny, darkest blue seeds mixed with brilliant red infertile ones.