Best Landscaper^® 'Garden Treasure'
Origin.: (Hollingsworth, 1984)
Group: Itoh Hybrid
Bloom period: Midseason
Bloom week: 4, 5 & 6
Flower form: Semi-double
Height: Medium
USDA Zone: 3 to 8
Item number: 0205

Fragrant semi-double, may produce a double flower on well grown, mature specimens. The large flower opens deep yellow, the pigmentation is more saturated in the heart of the flower with scarlet flairs emanating the base of the petals. Both brilliance and saturation are more pronounced in cool spring climate with flowers attaining a decidedly golden yellow shade. The bloom retains its color and fades only slightly until petals decline. The segments are of a heavy substance imparting a waxy texture of a semi-glossy finish. Broad outer petals surround several rows of segments that grade narrower toward a center of yellow stamens and light green carpels, the stigmas are pink. Generously furnished with petals, the nicely tailored flower is of exceptional form and substance. The plant habit of the bush is excellent, it is vigorous and fast to increase, producing a medium height bush within a few years of planting. Arching but stiff stems make a broad silhouette bush. Well-grown plants may form up to a five-foot wide mound at maturity, yielding four to five dozen blossoms over an extended period. Numerous side buds develop in rotational sequence, a leading example of extended bloom among peonies, up to four weeks in cooler climates. The bush is well clad in cool green, semi-glossy leaflets which are intermediate in form between the parents, leathery and durable. The foliage remains healthy well into fall and is apparently quite resistant to fungal disease here in NW Missouri. This variety boasts many exemplary qualities and makes it suitable for many uses, a perfect specimen for the perennial border, fragrant flower garden and mass planting.

Awards, Best Use & Distinctions 
Best Landscaper^®; Best Fragrant^®; APS Gold Medal, 1996; APS Award of Landscape Merit, 2009; APS Best in Show, 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2007; APS Seedling Certificate of Merit, 1984; APS Court of Honor; Our Own Peonies; Itoh variety; champion class; exhibition variety; general garden and landscape use.

Basic Growing Requirements
Full Sun. Water as needed, sensitive to overwatering and waterlog conditions. Soil pH 6.5-7. Fertile, well-draining soil.

Disclosure: The image(s) above shows the actual cultivar named and described on this page. The pictures are a fair and accurate depiction of the flowers as they are, in vivo, and are not staged or altered otherwise. The descriptions are based on our experience with plants that are grown by us here in NW Missouri. All images and information presented are subject to US Copyright ©, cultivar names may be subject to US Registered Trademark ®, and/or subject to specific breeder rights such as US Plant Patent and/or USDA Plant Variety Protection as well as specific State of Missouri crop protection laws, and all rights thereto to are reserved. Please note plant size, color, and health is due to a variety of environmental factors so results cannot be guaranteed and additionally that different web browsers may display colors slightly differently. These varieties may not be propagated commercially or exported without specific license and may be subject to export/import regulations. For inquiry send a written letter to Hollingsworth Peonies, Attn: Justin Peter Goldberg, Esq., P.O. Box 233, Maryville, MO 64468.