Description
Paeonia cambessedesii is a wonderful Majorcan endemic, restricted to the limestone ridges of the north of the island and now considered both rare and endangered.
In gardens it displays none of the fickle temperament that this very restricted wild range and rarity might incorrectly imply. It makes glossy green leaves with purple undersides, as the pale pink flowers are produced, early in the year, usually from February onwards.
The doom merchants will tell you that cambessedesii is not hardy, but I neither support, nor even believe this. It grows perfectly well here outside, despite being frosted and frozen regularly. Even when the young seed pods were coated in ice, they set viable seed 6 months later. In 30 years of growing this at our present location, I cannot think of a time that we have lost on to cold and our original plants, which have been here for 25 of those 30 years, are still with us.
The tubers of cambessedesii are naturally far far smaller than many Paeonia. Please read that again, they are naturally very small and insubstantial-looking, this is normal and natural for this species.
