Description
This is a much confused species formerly regarded as being related to anomala and distributed in Central Asia, but with an isolated locality in Georgia in the Caucasus! The plants that we offer are sensu Hong and are nothing like the so-called “P. intermedia” of gardens (which is actually P. anomala) . Across the border from China in Kazakstan, this is called P. hybrida, a name which seems to also find favour in other parts of the former Soviet Union, however that name is invalid and is now regarded as a synonym of P. tenuifolia. I suppose that this is understandable, as the rootstocks are very like those of tenuifolia, with fat, rounded segments, though they lack the longs underground stalks of tenuifolia, so “alike” but not the same.
There is a paper by Hong & Pan explaining all of this to be found HERE.
In short P. intermedia is a true, valid species, it is not anomala and it is not hybrida. I have no doubts that its botanical status will provide jobs for taxonomists for years, in the meantime gardeners can enjoy the vigorous plants which bear superb, open-faced, tissue-pink flowers in late spring. A total beauty, but one with no special needs, simply a good garden soil in a site that will grow a Paeonia. It is said that in the wild this favours more sunny and open spots, which may or may not translate into a liking for sun in horticulture. If it does then we have not noticed it.
These are gorgeous plants, originally raised in horticulture, in Xinjiang in a Chinese nursery – they are lovely specimens and are not wild collected.
