Early April sees the flowering of our oldest tree peony, a white large flowered single that has been in the ground in front of the split rail fence at the end of the knot garden for eight plus years.
It is the focal point at the end opposite the shed doors. Originally four of these majestic shrubs were put in the ground along the fence. All were purchased bareroot at Walmart for fifteen dollars apiece. That was an astronomical price to pay for a wad of roots in a boxed plastic bag, times four especially. Two were pink, a red and a white made up the four. The design plan for these color choices, who knows?
Only the white survived the first year, but we would not know what the bloom would look like for a few more years. The growth seemed slow but by the fourth year, there were several buds. 
As the buds opened, the blooms were fantastical, white large silky crinkled petals surrounded a voluptuous center of red and gold that might make a lady blush. 
The dark red carpel and yellow furry stamens are irresistable to our buzzing garden cohorts. Although the names of the four tree peonies were written down on a diagram of the knot garden with their location noted, that piece of graph paper seems to have disappeared into the etherworld of garden papers here. There is no way it could have been tossed into the recycle, or worse the trash, intentionally anyway. But the search was on to find the correct name for the white tree peony. Combing the internet recently, using that search term brought success. Site after site of listings and photos showed the unmistakable red and gold center with white crepe paper petals to be Paeonia ostii ‘Phoenix White’, in Chinese ‘Feng Dan Bai’.
One of the best sites for plant information, , the Missouri Botanical Garden, or Mobot says of this plant:
Feng Dan Bai (White Phoenix)
China
This is the most widespread cultivar of Paeonia ostii. It is a very vigorous species with the most rapid growth of all the peonies that, in a former classification, were grouped together as suffruticose peonies. Plant height can reach 7ft. at maturity. It comes into flower in a relatively short time after propagation. It grows successfully under completely different climatic and soil conditions. It is the base root of our grafted tree peonies. Flowers: white, sometimes with pinkish veins; single, large, with dense fragrance; petals, very open and not forming cups, one of the earliest flowering.The flowers face upwards, floating like silk on top of the leaves. Leaves: lobed only exceptionally.
The flowers have survived wild winds and rain snow in the last week. They do this by closing their petals to protect the pollen when precipitation comes. As long as the pollen is fresh, the flower will open again in sunshine. This pollen is looking rather fresh to these eyes.
Many sites claimed this plant to be grown in China in huge crops for medicinal purposes. Diligent research could not reveal what that purpose was though. If anyone knows, we would appreciate the sharing of that information. Added: Analgesic; Antibacterial; Antiinflammatory; Antispasmodic. Thanks to Phillip(UK) for the link with this info. See his comment below to go visit that link yourself. And do visit his incredible blog by clicking on his name here.
Once planted the Peony likes to be left alone and punishes those who try to move it by not flowering again for several years. Once established, however, it produces splendid blooms each year for decades.
Tree peonies are aristocratic perennials that would be a wonderful addition to any garden, growing in zones 3-9. Unlike the herbaceous peony that dies back to the ground each winter, these peonies develop woody stems that add architectural interest to the winter garden. Since they do develop woody stems, plants must not be cut back as typically done with the herbaceous peony. The woody stems can be lightly pruned to develop a good scaffold of primary stems and to promote the production of new shoots. Tree peonies do not require a great deal of maintenance to grow well. These plants are resistant to deer browsing. They like a soil that is near neutral and it should be well drained. They do not require great quantities of fertilizers, as a matter of fact, over fertilization can reduce flower production the following year. A moist soil in a lightly shaded place in the garden is ideal for best growth and flowering. 
While kneeling under the canopy of flowers and foliage with camera in hand, we spied these bits stuck to the woody stems. This post could have been titled “Tree Peony And White Feathers”.
Frances
Fairegarden 
Beautiful plant Frances!! Good to know that the deer leave it alone. There are many of the tree peonies that I see in the catalogues and want one, no two, no wait….I want lots!! Their huge blooms are really striking.
Frances, a gorgeous plant and lovely pictures. I was surprised to read it is used as root stock but shows it must be one of the easier ones to grow. It goes on my “must have” list! I do have one tree peony, in a pot, this year it goes into the garden.
Best wishes Sylvia (England)
Godmorning Frances! What a lovely plant you have there. I haven’t had any Peonies since we did the “big digging” in our garden. Maby I should by some… Your garden must be real big, this part I can’t remember that I’ve seen before gittan
Beautiful Frances! Glad your sleuthing paid off and your tree peony has it’s rightful name! We saw some at the Macy’s flower show. They are gorgeous, and the scent. . . heavenly!
This is such a wonderful post to read this morning after seeing the snow blanket everything here .. this is one wicked time for a gardener living smack in the middle of it all.
I’m in love with this tree peony .. I think it has to be pretty well perfect ! The white really commands attention and how tall it will become is awesome ! I have one small regular Peony in my garden ..but now I have gardener’s LUST for yours Frances .. thanks a lot girl for bringing that beast out in me again !! LOL
The pictures are so wonderfully detailed .. can you tell me what camera you are using ? I’m really interested to know ! : )
PS .. the coffee hasn’t kicked in yet, team that with seeing snow and it could explain a LOT if I have submitted a weird and wacky post here ?
It is simply splendid Frances. A regal specimen in its spot! So wonderful, and thanks for the info on them. I hope my two grow-finally.
I love the hovercraft of a bee in the first picture. Tree peonies are so lush and your picture did almost make me blush. Georgia O’Keefe would have painted that.
I agree with layanee. The photo of bee hovering over the peony bloom is awesome. The bloom is lovely right from bud to bloom. No wonder she is fragrant, what with the exquisite beauty!
What a beauty Frances. If that thing gets to be 7′ tall. My gosh… I have never seen such a thing. I hope to though.
Lovely Ms. Frances. I’m in search of a bargain tree peony or three myself. But after hearing of your $45 loss, I’m thinkin I should stay away from box stores.
Hi Frances, Phoenix White is a beauty and she is definitely Queen of the Knot Garden! Your photos are wonderful! Should I go on! I have a number of superlatives to describe your perfect flowers! They are stellar…and the hovering bee is remarkable. I wonder who lost those white feathers! I’ve been puzzling over why mine flowered its first years and not since then. I’m thinking erosion; it’s sitting in a spot that seems to have caught soil and the dirt is high on the stem. I am going to move it this fall/winter…what have I got to lose, it’s not blooming anyway! What’s on your schedule today? gail
I have often thought about buying a tree peony, but I have never gotten around to it yet. Peonies are such beautiful plants, aren’t they Frances? So would you say that tree peonies are as easy to care for than herbacous peonies?
It is a beauty, and how charming against your weathered fence! Her center almost looks like witch hazel. 😉
I bought a peony tree once but it died, much like your other three. It’s good to see that the white one survived and how. Geeeorgeous blooms!
Hi Frances, I love the single flower, it is great! In fact I always prefer singles to doubles… (which doesn’t explain why I like normal peonies, but…). Mobot rules! They do have excellent plant info online. I hope to head there this year!
Monica
P.S. I think you can add some code to your old blogger blog to redirect it to your wordpress blog… that way you could maybe sign into blogger to leave comments but when people click on your name it SHOULD take them to your wordpress blog, not blogger. If you want to do it, go to the blogger control panel and in the Layout tab, click Edit html. Immediately after the tag, type this on a new line:
and save. I tried it in my blog (redirecting my own blog to my own website) and it works, but it takes a little while to refresh (but my computer is old).
If you don’t like how it works, just delete that line and everything is as it was!
Frances,
That’s definitely a star in your garden! I love your knot garden. There’s one on my wish list once I “somewhat finish” the cottage garden and deer resistant outer gardens!
Cameron
I’ll have to take a closer look at the white tree peony here when it blooms and see if they are the same. The flowers are quite luscious. There are plans to move a couple of them very soon, (when the four inches of snow melts), because they have been buried by neighboring shrubs and need more room. If they get sold bare root it is obviously possible to transplant them. Otherwise my “help” in the neighboring garden will continue to be with the peonies and many of the smaller azaleas and shrubs to keep the wild things off and away from them. I think the resident gardeners have some troubles with things because they don’t get enough sun buried in the wild aster and ageratina.
It is beyond gorgeous and I love the garden design! I planted a purple tree peony last year (I’ll have to check for the name) and the buds on it are huge. I can’t wait to see it open. My oldest tree peony, an unidentified red one, didn’t bloom this year and it always blooms. I don’t know what happened.
It is a gorgeous specimen. Your knot garden is a thing of beauty right now, a nice place to sit in the morning with a cup of coffee I bet. 🙂 I have a tree peony coming in the mail this month that was given as a free plant for ordering so much. It’s chinese name is Zhuang Yuan Hong.
Sigh. I’m so jealous! I love herbaceous and tree peonies—peonies are my favorite flowers, followed, for reasons of childhood sentiment, by nasturtiums. But up here, I see gorgeous bloom-covered tree peonies turned into facedown blobs of mush overnight by the rains, so I’ve resisted buying them. Sob! And, like Phillip, I am awed by your knot garden design. So beautiful!!!
It has beautiful blooms! I’m in agreement with the other commenters who are admiring your knot garden, it looks great. That’s a neat name for your peony!
Wow, that is gorgeous! I’ll just sit here and sigh over yours since we can’t grow them here in south central Texas. I heard tell that it’s possible in Dallas but that isn’t enough to lure me there!
What a magnificent peony. I must look into getting that one. I didn’t know Tree Peonies could be so vigorous in our climate. Nice bee pictures too!
I’m glad it finally has a name. It’s a lovely thing, and so generous with its blooms. Just fantastic!
this is a gorgeous peony tree. i just planted a couple of peony bare roots. i hope they make it with our wild weather. i love the close up of the inside of the flower. thanks for showing where you have it at the end of your little formal area, it looks peaceful there. have a wonderful week.
Frances, I am not only aghast at the beauty of your tree peony (which I did not previously know even existed). But also at the second photo with your shaped garden. I am saving that one!
Brenda
What a wonderful plant! And I love your knot garden, the bench is inviting and it must be very nice to sit on it and enjoy the garden. I also bought a peony at Walmart a couple years ago (but mine was much cheaper!). I thought it didn’t make but for my surprise it is growing. After 2 years!
I hope it didn’t get very cold there last night. I am anxious about tonight.
Nice corner of the garden, a great place for meditation, specially with that flowering peony.
Beautiful plant for a beautiful garden. As to its medical / herbal use:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Paeonia+ostii
Wow, what a spectacular plant! It’s so elegant, and delicate looking. I really like your knot garden also. Very pleasing shape, and it looks like a relaxing place to sit and meditate.
Thanks for the wonderful photos. Tree peonies are magical. Wonder if this White Phoenix was the surviving understock of one of coloured peonies that didn’t make it? In any event, it couldn’t be more perfect just where it is. And just think, if you’d saved the piece of paper from the purchased plants, you never would have had this much fun and conversation!
Your tree peony is stunning! And so are your pictures!
Katarina
It’s so pretty in bloom. I think I’ll have to do a search once mine is in bloom to see if I can identify it. It looks perfect as your focal point. How tall would you say it is now?
Your knot garden is stunningly beautiful. What a paradise!
That tree peony is beyond gorgeous. But what really makes it so wonderful is the way you’ve sited it in that little knot garden. Perfect plant, perfect place as all the books like to say!
So glad you discovered the name of your tree peony. I don’t have one yet, but am expecting one from Song Sparrow this spring. I hope it isn’t snowing where you are. That snow would be hard on the beautiful white blooms. We had our horrid freeze this a.m., 25F, but most of the garden survived under cover.~~Dee
Outstanding pictures, as always. Wonderful garden. I take off my hat (and I don’t say that often).
Sigh. I do wish I could grow peonies. You’d think since we can grow other cottage garden-y stuff that we could grow them. But alas. I’ll just have to look at your beauties. Hmm, I think I can handle that.
I’m sidetracked by your knot garden photo. It looks really pretty right now, even when it’s not in full bloom. Nice structure.
Good things come to those who wait. Congratulations on the beautiful peony. It was worth all the effort. I learned they are hardy when established and need a little protection in the early years.
Donna
Utterly Gorgeous!!! I imagine you having lovely chats while resting on your bench… with a cup of tea perhaps.
What a fabulous Peony. I bet you’re glad you hung on all that time until it flowered. Patience is a virtue and all that.
Thanks for the particular advice on ‘tree’ Peony.
Beautiful photography.
Rob
We may have the same white tree peony…mine is not quite as tall as yours but also 8 yrs. old. And just when I think it didn’t make it through the winter, it survives and blooms beautifully! I purchased a purple one at the flower show this year ($20..which is cheap!) but it will be quite a while before we see her in bloom. Of course, I’m still a month behind you though…lol..can’t wait!
Frances, Jean again. I noticed your comment about the knot garden and what to grow in that difficult soil. I don’t think this’ll help much but in my former alleyway (which still has broken asphalt) in full sun I’ve got these things that grow wild: spiderwort, sweet autumn clematis, and Mexican feather grass. I’m sure you want some other type of flowers though. And btw, I also was taken by your knot garden. Be sure to post about it when the tulips bloom! Oh, and one more thing, I think it’s the heat that kills peonies here.
What an amazing plant! I think you said it best, when you described it as voluptuous. Your knot garden is wonderful. It looks so inviting.
Like your fairies, I delight viewing macro images of your garden, Frances. The intro photo of your oldest tree peony is a dream. You tend and till the earth for those that follow … for that you will be blessed. Happy Easter!
That is a delicious white tree peony Frances. Good you figured out the identity. Now to the real issue, I saw your comment on Gails blog about how happy the primula veris are making you ~ so go ahead ~ post some magnificent photos of them here and make me drool! I’ll be waiting!!
Unfortunately, no. I think I should have prechilled the seeds you sent??? Good news tho. My mom has finally agreed to dig up a clump of one of my (old) plants and give back to me. I just need to get them started then I think I’ll be back in business. Also, I was considering ordering. Did you see the new double primula veris (on the Plant Delight website). Good to know yours will be featured soon.
Those blooms are a spectacular work of art, Frances, and your photographs are pure delight. The bees are obviously in insect heaven with all that beautiful pollen 🙂
It’s easy to see why we gardeners are so obsessed with growing things when presented with such luxurious beauty as this plant radiates. It takes my breath away!
To reply to your seasonal interest question, Frances, in my Austin garden, for summer color in difficult soil and full sun, I would try hymenoxys (Tetraneuris scaposa) or narrowleaf zinnia. Real troupers, those. Also, maybe society garlic?
White flowers are my favorite, and this is a beauty. Peonies are one of the flowers I would love to grow, but unfortunately, they don’t grow this far south. I’ll just have to enjoy yours.
Jan
Always Growing
What a fascinating portrait of that tree peony. They are magnificent plants. I just bought another this year.
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