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Paeonia delavayi

Delavay's Tree Peony · Dian Mu Dan · Tree Peony · Yellow Tree Peony

Family PaeoniaceaeGenus Paeonia

Also published as Paeonia lutea, Paeonia delavayi var. lutea, Paeonia delavayi subsp. lutea. You are in the right place.

A yellow peony cup with a red-marked center and golden stamens
FlowerEpibaseCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
Deciduous shrubPlant Finder
Habit
shrubPlants of the World Online
Height
3-5 ft0.9-1.5 mPlant Finder
Spread
3-4 ft0.9-1.2 mPlant Finder
Flower
Showy; yellow, orange, red, purple, greenish or whitePlant Finder
Blooms
MayPlant Finder
Native range
Yunnan ChinaPlant Finder
Hardiness zones
4-8Plant Finder
Note
Relatively pest free. Some canker, leaf blight, stem wilt and honey fungus.Plant Finder

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sun to part shadePlant Finder
Soil
Deep, fertile, organically rich, neutral to slightly alkalinePlant Finder
Watering
MediumPlant Finder

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plant Finder — Missouri Botanical Garden; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Worth knowing

  • A tree peony endemic to China, named for the French missionary Jean Marie Delavay, who collected plants there. Wikipedia: Paeonia delavayi

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 60 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    The radicle and its branching root system form here. This is what Deno counts as germination.

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

    The single true leaf forms only now. Germination is hypogeal.

about 5 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3.

Deno lists it as germinating at 70 like P. officinalis, and gives no figures for it.

This source doesn't state how long step 3 lasts.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, PaeoneaPublic domain
Show the original text
Paeonea (Ranunculacèae). Nicking the seeds of P. officinalis and P. suffruticosa was reported to give some promotion to germination in the first edition, but this has not been confirmed in later and more extensive experiments. P:anomala, emodi, lutea, mlkosewetschii, obovata, and vernalis germ. at 70. similar to P.officinalis. Germination consists of forming a radicle and a branching root system. This requires about 2 m after which the seedlings are given 3 m at 40. On shifting back to 70 the true leaf forms (hypogeal). Germination was hypogeal in all but P. brownii,tand all germ. at 70 except P. broteri and P. brownii. These germ. at 40. Treatment with GA-3 gave a small increase in rate of germination in P. officinalis and P. suffruticosa.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Paeonea. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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