'Borrowing Arrows From a Straw Boat' 草船借箭 Tree Peony (Paeonia x suffruticosa 'Cao Chuan Jei Jian/Clever')

NEW FOR FALL 2024. GROWN and IMPORTED directly from HEZE, SHANDONG, CHINA!

草船借箭; Cao Chuan Jie Jian; Borrowing Arrows From a Straw Boat; Clever.

The Shandong region of China has been cultivating mudan (tree peonies) for over three thousand years! Champlain Peony Company is pleased to present this lovely 'King of Flowers' from China's ancient peony capital in very limited edition.

Mudan 'Cao Chuan Jie Jian' or 'Borrowing Arrows From a Straw Boat' sports a pink, single blossom at the terminus of every branch. This modest-sized blossom has one or two rows of petals, each with a large, bruised-purple flare making an impressive eye. A corona of golden anthers is an irresistible lure for pollinators.  Only a very few plants available AND you will not be finding this cultivar in your neighbors garden anytime soon.

USDA Zones 4-8 would be very successful zones for this peony. It can tolerate somewhat warmer areas than most other peonies. Where they are grown in Shandong, China is similar to the American interior mid-Atlantic and mid-western regions with cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers. Typical winter low temps are in the teens Fahrenheit with dips into single digits and with summer temps often exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It will likely thrive in higher growing zones if attention is paid to afternoon shade and deep mulching to keep the ground cool and moist.

Bare roots are available for shipping in late-fall and winter only. Tree peonies are sold by the branch number and not by the 'eye' as herbaceous and intersectional peonies. Typically, you will find single-branched tree peonies for sale. We pass these 'whips' over and opt for much larger and more mature 3-5 branched stock that you can expect to bloom the first or second year after planting. We were able to find 'Borrowing Arrows From a Straw Boat' grown out for extra years and at an exceptionally large size! It's more pricey, but also that much further ahead for your garden! Tree peonies are also excellent choices for container grown specimens on your patios and decks. 

Zones 4-8

We do not ship potted peonies.