Early White
‘Early White’ did not bloom in 2020, likely due to a late frost but it is usually covered with abundant flowers held above the foliage. It was good in 2021 and 2022.
This name does not appear in any of the Saunders’ catalogues or notebooks. I recently received some material from the estate of Peggy Goldsmith. It confirms that she gave this peony the name “Early White” but thought that the original name had been lost. It does not appear to be identical to any other Saunders peony in my collection, nor is there an obvious match to any that I am missing.
| Cultivar: | Early White |
| Year: | never registered |
| Seedling No: | not known |
| Parentage: | not known, looks like macrophylla heritage |
| Flower: | Color: | pale pink fading to white |
| Form: | single, one row of 8 petals | |
| Blooms: | Week 3 | |
| Carpels: | 3, light yellowish green | |
| Stigmas: | red | |
| Disc: | pink, obscure | |
| Stamens: | filaments slightly red at base shading to near white | |
| Plant: | Habit: | rounded spreading bush |
| Foliage color: | medium green | |
| Foliage form: | medium leaves | |
| Height: | 35″ in 2022 | |
| Recommendation: | Collectors’ plant |
| Availability: | May not be available; purchased from a now-closed nursery |
