Paeonia brownii

Paeonia brownii is a steely-gray perennial with maroon flowers. Like its cousin Paeonia californica you'll find it tucked under bushes on dry slopes. This peony grows mostly in northern California above 3000 ft. It is difficult to grow; Paeonia californica is easier. Paeonia brownii prefers part sun. It grows in sand, and tolerates deer. The fleshy roots store food to carry the plant through the dry summers and produce new leaves and flowers the following spring. . This plant is a good example of a circumventor, that avoids drought by going completely deciduous. The foliage gradually dies to the ground after flowering. This plant should be placed in an area of the garden where it will not receive summer water.