Paeonia californica

California Peony is a one foot perennial with drooping maroon 2" flowers in Jan.-Mar.. Native from Monterey to San Diego Co. (and on the nursery site). It will tolerate sun to part shade, little or no summer water. You need perfect drainage, a very green thumb, and luck with this one. We are almost always sold out of this and have shipped this one as far as Switzerland. I've seen it growing in clay, serpentine, and decomposed granite. Native under things for the most part, but you will some times see it in west or north facing outcrops. This plant confused people in Europe and the East coast because it has adapted to our climate by leafing out in Dec.-Jan. and going dec. in May. In other climates it has a tendency to come up in the snow. Deer do not seem to bother it, nor does anything else. It has swollen roots like a yam that will rot if you water it in the summer.