'KING OF FLOWERS' Tree Peony (Paeonia x suffruticosa '花王 hua wang/king of flowers')

花王; Kao Hua Wang; King of Flowers. This is one of the most traditional of the tree peonies 'Hua Wang'. Kao (or Kaou) has been grown and improved in Japan for centuries. This offering is from Heze, China and boasts fragrant 10" Hundred Proliferate form magenta-red blossoms terminating each branch tip on shrubs up to 7' tall and 6' wide. Very hardy. 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.  USDA Zones 4-9 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