Paeonia, ‘Hope’s Star of Heaven’ hybrid herbaceous peony Cricket Hill Garden

Notable characteristics: Well formed, anemone, double blossoms are produced in abundance on this robust grower. Flowers are held upright on strong stems, though some additional support is ideal for landscape use. Colors in the center of the flower change from yellow to white, in contrast to the pink petals. 

We are excited to offer this new hybrid herbaceous peony for the first time. This is a plant which we have observed and propagated in the nursery for more than a decade. It is an open-pollinated seedling.

This plant, ‘Hope’s Star of Heaven’, is named in memory of a person who took great pleasure in their garden. The name references a line in Rumi’s poem, ‘You and I’, a touching and vivid expression of the love which can fill our lives. 

The stars of heaven will come out to watch us,
And we will show them
the light of a full moon –
you and I.

— Excerpted from Rumi’s, ‘You and I’ (version by Jonathan Star, from a translation by Shahram Shiva)
“A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi” Bantam Books, 1992. Read the full poem here.

Cultivar group, hybridizer and year introduced: Peony Heaven hybrid, new introduction, to be registered with the American Peony Society. 

Growth habit and size at maturity: Upright, grows to 3.5′ tall and 3′ wide. Very good stem strength.

Flower form and size: Anemone double, 4-5″ and upward facing. Excellent variety for landscape planting or cut flowers.

Flower fragrance: Light, sweet.

Bloom time: Mid-season hybrid peony, blooms in our USDA zone 6a garden in the last week of May or 1st week of June.

Zone hardiness: Proven in USDA zones 3-8.

Plant size: 4-5 ‘eye’ plants with a well developed root system. This size plant will most likely flower its first spring in the ground.

When we ship: FALL 2024