Website/Catalog  (29 Jan 2010)  Includes photo(s).
 
Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. var. rosea
See Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. for a description of the species.  Rosea is a variety with pink flowers.  [JD].

Horticultural & Botanical History
Probably synonymous with Paeonia moutan rosea semiplena: ‘The first plant of this variety is said to have been introduced by the late Right Hon. Charles Greville about the year 1794, and it blossomed subsequently in his garden at Paddington.  The flowers are semi-double, cupped, not opening very widely; if fully open, they would have an expansion of from six to eight inches; the petals are large, of a fine deep pink, very slightly darker at their base, but not strikingly so, as in the other varieties.’  [Clericus in FC p.45.1842]. 
‘In Messrs. Sabine and Anderson’s valuable Monograph of the Genus Paeonia, in the Transactions of the Linnaean Society, this plant is related to have been introduced from China, by Mr. Greville, in 1794.  We first obtained ours from Mr. Hibbert.  It partakes in an eminent degree of the magnificence appertaining to the whole of this important genus: the flowers are fragrant, and seem to be more or less double in proportion to the vigour of the plant: they are produced in May and June.  We find this rather more tender than the other kinds.  [LBC no.1035/1825].

History at Camden Park
Desideratum to Loddiges’ Nursery, 6th January 1845 [MP A2933-2, p.28] and to James Backhouse, 1st February 1849 [MP A2933-1, p.183].  Macarthur records receiving four ‘Moutans, said to be various’, among a number of plants received from Captain Simpson in late 1849 or early 1850, apparently on the same ship as those accompanying Captain P. P. King.  The source is unclear.  [ML A1980-3].  This plant may be amongst these.

Book  (1917)  Page(s) 200.  
 
In 1794 a fresh supply of tree peonies was purchased in Canton and sent to England. Owing to the long voyage and improper packing, many of these died en route: only three plants survived the trip. On arrival at Kew, the three were successfully grown outdoors, propagated, and distributed in British collections. These peonies had deep pink flowers and were named Rosea.
 

Book  (1917)  Page(s) 203.  
 
In 1828 the catalogue of John Bartram lists the same variety, adding " poppy flowered tree pæony," but without price, and " P. moutan rosea, rose coloured," at five dollars.

Magazine  (8 Jul 1899)  Page(s) 300.  
 
Les botanistes et les horticulteurs ont distingué dans le P. Moutan deux races principales :
1° Paeonia Moutan var. papaveracea.
2° Paeonia Moutan var. rosea.
La première, remarquable par ses huit ou dix pétales, d’un blanc pur ou plus ou moins teinté de rose, avec une ample macule pourpre à l’onglet; la seconde, par des fleurs d'un rose plus ou moins intense, maculées aux onglets, ou à
macule peu marquée. Cette dernière a aussi des feuilles plus grandes, des sépales plus larges. Toutes deux, dit-on, n’auraient été introduites en France qu’en 1803. Il serait à peu près impossible de retrouver aujourd’hui les deux
types que nous venons de citer. ...Dans l’espèce type et ses variétés (papav. et rosea), au centre des 5 à 10 pétales, est une couronne d’innombrables étamines, à filaments roses ou blancs, à anthères d’un jaune d’or, entourant 2 à 9 ovaires velus, terminés par les stigmates persistants, et plus ou moins enveloppés par un urcéole charnu, coloré comme les pétales.

Book  (1898)  Page(s) 218.  
 
[George Hibbert] is stated to have introduced following Chinese plants:...In 1795, Paeonia Moutan rosea plena. Bot. Cab. t. 1035 (1825). Sabine, on Paeonia Moutan, 1826, Trans. Hort. Soc. VI, 477.

Magazine  (22 Jan 1887)  Page(s) 76.  
 
The Tree Pæony. 
A hundred years have elapsed since the first living plant of the Tree Pæony was brought to this country from the gardens at Canton, and the honour of introducing it is due to Sir Joseph Banks.  He had heard of its existence in Chinese gardens, and engaged a Mr. Duncan, who was attached to the East India Company's service, to obtain plants of it and send them home.  Through Mr. Duncan's exertions the first live Moutan was received at Kew in 1787.  For 1400 years the Tree Pæony is said to have been cultivated by the Chinese, who would have us believe that it originated from Pæonia albiflora, also a native of China.  But such is not a fact, for it is proved beyond doubt that the Moutan is a true wild shrub, indigenous not to the southern parts of China, but to the northern provinces of Ho-Nan and Nan-Kin, where it inhabits mountainous regions and whence it was brought to Canton.  For countless generations Chinese gardeners have occupied themselves in raising new varieties of Hoa-Ouang (the king of flowers), as they call this Pæony, and fifty years ago Anderson asserted that they possessed no fewer than 250 distinct sorts representing all the colours which Pæonies are capable of producing.  They have crimsons of every shade to nearly black, whites, yellows, purples, roses, and even blues.  These are said to be all self-coloured, for, singularly enough, the Chinese reject variegated flowers, regarding them as unnatural.  Some varieties they call Pe-Leang- Kin (a hundred ounces of gold), in allusion to their great value.  In 1794 a second variety was introduced by a Mr. Greville; this was named rosea, the flowers being of a deep rose-pink colour, while those of Sir Joseph Bank's plant were blush-pink and double. [...]
The above varieties, viz., Banksi, rosea, and papaveracea, are all that are described in Anderson's "Monograph of the Genus Pæonia", given in vol. vi. of the Horticultural Society's Transactions (1838)...

Book  (1856)  Page(s) 1313.  
 
Ces trois Pivoines, Moutan, rosea et papaveracea, sont regardées par les botanistes comme des variétés et fleurissent en avril et mai; originaires de la Chine et introduites en France, en 1803, elles ont été longtemps cultivées sans produire de graines; mais, depuis 1822, on en a récolté qui ont donné de nombreuses et belles variétés. Ces plantes aiment une terre à Oranger mêlée de terre de bruyère; elles s'accommodent de toutes les expositions. On les cultive en pleine terre depuis longtemps ; cependant on en conserve aussi en pot ou en caisse, que l'on rentre en serre tempérée afin d'avancer la floraison. Dans ces derniers cas, il leur faut de la terre neuve tous les 2 ou 3 ans, pour végéter vigoureusement. On les multiplie par la division des racines semi-tuberculeuses ou par éclat, par boutures détachées à leur insertion, et enfin par la greffe en fente ou à la Pontoise sur tubercule de Pivoine herbacée, ou mieux sur tubercules de Pivoines en arbres ou Pivoines de Chine, qui ne produisent pas de rejetons comme le P. officinalis ; on obtient ainsi des plantes qui fleurissent beaucoup plus tôt. Les plantes de semis restent 7 ou 8 ans avant de fleurir.

Book  (Sep 1847)  Page(s) 265.  
 
M. Guyard cultive devant son habitation un fort bel individu de la Paeonia arborea rosea, qui a vingt ans au moins et une hauteur de 2 mètres. Il le protége contre les intempéries de l'hiver en couvrant à l'automne ses tiges et ses branches par deux tonneaux défoncés qu'il superpose l'un à l'autre, et dont l'ouverture supérieure est fermée par un paillasson et de la litière. Ces tonneaux sont enlevés en mars. Par cette simple précaution, il obtient chaque année une nombreuse moisson de fleurs qui parfument les alentours d'une odeur agréable de rose.

Book  (1846)  Page(s) 471.  
 
Moutan Sims, varieties and hybrids.....rosea Hort.....

Book  (1846)  Page(s) 61.  
 
Descriptive List of Pæonies.
Pæonia Moutan, or Tree Pæonies, adapted for the greenhouse or flower garden.
Botanical name: rosea;  English name: roseate;  Color: Pink;  Height: 3 feet; Time of flowering: April, May.