trade designation

of P. 'Huang Jin Lun'

Darwinplants:

Goldmine: Large, sweetly fragrant golden-yellow flowers bloom in abundance from an elegant bushy plant. The very first Lactiflora-type double Paeony.

E. Babb on yahoo!groups Jan.22 2002:

The latest Gilbert H. Wild catalog from Sarcoxie, MO lists 'Gold Mine' on the back cover at $100: "A Gilbert H. Wild exclusive. A rare full double yellow blooms (sic), stand atop tall dark green stems. A dark golden yellow color. Extremely limited." The photo shows a yellow double with some possible shading to cream in the center.

Jim Langhammer on yahoo!groups Jan.22 2002:

There is one possible explanation here. The Wild's operation is an old business. Many years ago, they did grow and offer 'Oriental Gold. I wonder if their offering of an "exclusive" in 'Goldmine' might be an orphan 'Oriental Gold' that showed up unexpected in one of their plantings. The description is wrong only in describing "dark green foliage" but the catalog picture sure looks like 'Oriental Gold'.

Paul Henjum

Specialty Perennials Hardyplants.com on yahoo!groups Jan.23 2002:

"Goldine" is a plant they are getting from "Darwn Plants'. the shape of the flowers looks very unattractive in the picture but it is yellow.

Here is what is said about it:"Large, fragrant golden-Yellow. the first true Lactiflora-type yellow. $70.40 each (Whole sale) The plant I like from its picture is "Yellow Crown"

Jim Langhammer on yahoo!groups Jan.23 2002:

Now the "cusp of the tooth" is exposed! Darwin Plants grow and distribute quality plants but for some reason their ID's sometimes seem to mask reference to old well-known cultivars. I have long suspected for example that their variegated phlox 'Darwin's Choice' is actually Alan Bloom's 'Norah Leigh' that was named approximately 50 years ago. I have grown both side-by-side and in my yard there is NOT the slightest difference.

If 'Goldmine' is truly 'Oriental Gold/Golden Wheel', it may not be a bench-winner in competition but I have grown and liked it for many years.

The 'Yellow Crown' being offered is probably one of the original Itohs first listed by Smirnow.

Jim Langhammer

Reiner Jakubowski on yahoo!peony

Darwin Plants has a website http://www.darwinplants.com/. It is a very pretty site, and well organised. They do not follow standard peony nomenclature and list most peonies as "Lactiflora hybrids" where we would call them lactiflora varieties or cultivars. However, there are glaring errors in the designation of 'Paula Fay', 'Flame', and 'Claire de Lune' as lactiflora hybrids. Buckeye Belle, Red Charm, Scarlet O'Hara, and Yellow Crown lack any designation as hybrid, or otherwise.

If "Goldmine" is being offered by the mail order nurseries in Canada it is almost certain that the source is Holland and certainly not Gilbert H. Wild in the USA. The last grower in Canada to offer them (under the Oriental Gold name) was Wally Gilbert of Elora, Ontario, and then they only appear in one issue of his catalogue. Wally did manage to grow this variety in Elora for over 25 years but never in quantities that warranted another listing in his catalogue. Reiner

Reiner Jakubowski on yahoo!peony

Quoting from Brickman's Botanical Gardens site "Finally it has arrived, a fully double yellow that is not related to the suffruticosa types. New!!" . http://www.brickmansbotanicalgardens.com

The picture looks a lot like what we know as Oriental Gold. Reiner