Paeonia 'Claire de Lune'

Hybrid Paeony Paeoniaceae

Paeonia ‘Claire de Lune’ is a landmark herbaceous peony and one of the great achievements of early twentieth-century peony hybridising. Its large, single flowers open in early spring in an unusually delicate shade of creamy lemon-yellow, the softly crinkled petals surrounding a magnificent boss of yellow filaments and orange anthers. The flowers are carried on reddish stems above broad, handsome green foliage and are gently scented according to the RHS. 

The breeder was A. P. Saunders, who made the remarkable cross Paeonia lactiflora ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’ × P. mlokosewitschi. After an estimated 4,000 pollinations, the cross produced the single successful seedling that became ‘Claire de Lune’ — an extraordinary achievement given the difficulty of crossing these two species. Saunders named it Claire de Lune, and it was subsequently introduced and registered by White & Wild in 1954. 

The result is historically important as well as beautiful: it was essentially the successful bridge between the pink-flowered P. lactiflora and the yellow-flowered P. mlokosewitschi, helping establish the possibility of producing yellow-flowered herbaceous peony hybrids. It remains an excellent cut flower and has received the RHS Award of Garden Merit. 

A genuinely historic peony, then — 4,000 attempts for one successful seedling seems excessive until you see it flower.

Height: 75–90 cm
Spread: 60–80 cm
Flowering: April–May
Hardiness: H6, approximately −20 to −15°C
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Deep, fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Flower: Single, pale lemon-yellow, with golden stamens
Breeder: A. P. Saunders
Parentage: P. lactiflora ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’ × P. mlokosewitschi
Introduced: White & Wild, 1954