Don Hollingsworth notes that while this early red is more heat tolerant than most of Saunders' peonies, it still needs a fair amount of water and some light shade in the Midwest, and Lower Midwest. It is true red on moderately acid soil, single with a large center, the petals open flat and wide very quickly in warm weather, it is 80 today and I planted it in light shade. It has a very light fragrance, but it generally smells like wax.