THE BOOK OF THE PEONY 



Although there are numerous instances of tree 

 peonies not thriving in England, they are cul- 

 tivated successfully in many parts of that coun- 

 try. Failure to grow well has probably been due 

 to local conditions. 



I find the mention of one tree peony in Eng- 

 land in 1835 that " perfected " 320 flowers in 

 one season. There are statements here and there 

 about occasional specimens noted for their huge 

 size and their abundance of bloom. One plant in 

 particular, grown in the garden of E. Taylor, 

 Diss, Norfolk, is famous for its long life and 

 sturdy growth. In 1904, when eighty years old, 

 it was fifteen feet across and produced 400 flowers 

 from eight to nine inches in diameter. 



It is stated by one writer that the " re-intro- 

 duction " of the tree peony in England was 

 mainly due to T. S. Ware of Tottenham, whose 

 display of the flowers was always a great feature. 



The Tree Peony in America 



We have no exact knowledge as to the date 



when the tree peony was introduced into the 



United States. Hovey (writing in 1836) thinks 



it musx have been about 1820. In 1826, a plant 



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