Data specific to Peonies (Edit)
Originator/Registrant: Roy G. Klehm
Cultivar Group (Type): Lactiflora
Season of bloom: Late Midseason (week 5)
Late (week 6)
Flower Form: Full Double
Flower Color: Red
Flower color description: Deep red
Needs support: No

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 7b
Plant Height: 33 inches
Fruit: Dehiscent
Flowers: Showy
Pollinators: Various insects

Image
Common names
  • Peony
  • Chinese Peony
  • Garden Peony

Photo Gallery
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2013-06-22
Location: Heirloom Peony Garden, Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2010-05-27
Photo by frankrichards16
Location: Heirloom Peony Garden, Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2010-05-27
Location: Heirloom Peony Garden, Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2010-05-27
Location: Botanical Garden of Moscow State University
Date: 2011-06-10
Photo courtesy of: Kor!An
Comments:
  • Posted by frankrichards16 (Clinton, Michigan - Zone 5b) on Mar 27, 2018 10:38 AM concerning plant:
    Peony 'Best Man' (Roy Klehm) is a 33" tall, reddish, double lactiflora cultivar. Its color is described as rich burgundy red, deep red, red with pink tones, deep fuchsia red, deep red maroon, hot pink, and just plain pink. Judging from web photos, it looks like a dark pink to me. Husky stems on sturdy foliage are noted. No date of origin is listed, but is probably somewhat recent since its originator is Roy Klehm (current director of Klehm Nursery).
  • Posted by arctangent (Ann Arbor, Michigan - Zone 6a) on Feb 5, 2021 11:35 AM concerning plant:
    It has been suggested that I add the following info for this cultivar, which I posted to specific photos, here in the plant comments. Please note that it refers only to a specific location, namely the Peony Garden at Nichols arboretum, Ann Arbor.
    "Just a friendly heads up. This is really a message to anyone who might be hoping to view this cultivar in the Peony Garden in Ann Arbor. Based on my own extensive study of the current collection, both in person and via the bed maps provided annually for the period 2015-2019, this cultivar, Best Man, is no longer in the collection, and hasn't been in it since some time before 2015. There has been an extensive reworking of parts of the collection beginning after the 2014 growing season, and it is still underway. It may be that the plants of Best Man were lost at that time, or they may have succumbed to disease. There's no entry for Best Man in the MBGNA database (which doesn't necessarily mean it was never in the collection, since the database is notorious out of date). - Elizabeth"
Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
No longer in the collection by arctangent Apr 23, 2020 11:35 AM 2

« Add a new plant to the database

» Search the Peonies Database: by characteristics or by cultivar name

« See the general plant entry for Peonies (Paeonia)

« The Peonies Database Front Page

« The Plants Database Front Page

Today's site banner is by Lucius93 and is called "Erysimum cheiri"

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.