A delightful change of pace from petal-packed double "bomb" style peonies, this elegant and very free-floweringt Japanese style offers overlapping petals of purest white, gently cupped around a large frilly gold center. Not only do they make all neighboring colors gleam a little more brightly, they last longer in warm climates than most other peonies and make the perfect match with double-flowered roses of all types.
'Jan van Leeuwen' is a large, very long-lasting peony with a subtle sweet scent. The flowers are very freely borne, standing out brilliantly against their dense forest-green foliage. They appear in midseason, usually late spring or early summer (depending upon how far north you live). Like other single-flowered peonies, they make a far better choice for southern and southwestern gardens than do the double-flowered varieties, lasting longer than most others in the shorter growing season of warm climates. If you love peonies but are teetering on the southernmost brink of their hardiness range, consider pairing 'Jan van Leeuwen' with 'Coral Sunset' and other early-flowering varieties. The sooner they can bloom in your garden, the better chance they have of a long, delightfully colorful season before the seriously hot weather arrives!
'Jan van Leeuwen' reaches about 34 inches high and 36 inches wide, with a dense, very well-branched habit that looks good long after bloomtime. It loves sunshine and good soil drainage, but other than that is carefree and very, very long-lived. Peonies are perennials with the life span and garden impact of shrubs, and you can expect this season's planting to be enjoyed by future generations in your garden! Zones 3-7.
