MARTHA W. (because of name duplication. Peony Martha Washington, Bulletin #253, has been changed to Martha W). Carroll F. Spangler, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, Jan. 9, 1985. Seedling #S 172. Parentage unknown, chance seedling; might be of Mons Jules Elie. First bloom 1974 - a full double, all subsequent years blooms single. Single light pink lactiflora, early to midseason bloom, no fragrance. 32 inches in height, many stems, stiff and wiry. A very nice plant but not valued for its beauty of flower but rather for the hybridizer. A proven seed parent for the Itoh hybrids. Highly fertile both ways with large seeds in great abundance. An apparent break-through for the hybridizer. See Bulletin #250, page 34. Bulletin #253.
Martha W (Spangler/Anderson 1985) M. Single; cool light pink, extraordinarily floriferous, many side buds, long flowering. Stoutly erect, exemplary plant habit, very vigorous, excellent in the landscape. Fertile, reported by Roger Anderson to be one of the most effective seed parents used in the production of his remarkable hybrids.
This cultivar is the parent plant of many intersectional hybrids
