Ellen Cowley
The flowers are numerous and held well above the foliage on strong, straight stems. ‘Ellen Cowley’ earned the Award of Landscape Merit from the American Peony Society. A favorite!
Named for Ellen McCampbell Cowley, the daughter of Hamilton College President William “Hal” Cowley, who was born two hours before the start of the 1940 college commencement. Mrs. Jean Cowley heard afterward that “Hal mixed up a few diplomas.” (Ref. The 1940 Annalist letter, Hamilton College Archives.)
| Cultivar: | Ellen Cowley |
| Year: | 1940 |
| Seedling No: | 10100. Pages 22 & 38 of Saunders’ Notebook I |
| Parentage: | 7: lactiflora ‘Kelway’s Glorious’ X “lobata of Perry” |
| Flower: | Color: | deep bright cherry, white flares on outer side of petals |
| Form: | semi-double, 4 rows of petals | |
| Blooms: | Week 5 | |
| Carpels: | 4, light grey-green, woolly | |
| Stigmas: | deep bright cherry (self) | |
| Disc: | white, obscure | |
| Stamens: | filaments yellow | |
| Plant: | Habit: | rounded bush |
| Foliage color: | medium green | |
| Foliage form: | narrow leaves, terminal leaf in leaflet usually lobed | |
| Height: | 34″ in 2021; 37″ in 2022 | |
| Recommendation: | Highly recommended |
| Availability: | Several specialty nurseries |
