Every year for ten days between the end of April and beginning of May, a remote corner in Romania witnesses an amazing show - the blooming en masse of the wild Peonia Tenuifolia. A rare and particularly beautiful type of botanical Peony - also called Steppe Peony, grows wild in an area of 3 hectares. A whole meadow explodes with the blood red simple blooms of this peony.
The place is called Zau de Campie (Mures district), and has been since 1934 a natural reservation dedicated to the preservation in the wild of this plant.
The particularity of this Peony is its very fine and delicate foliage, so different from all other types.
The blooms are simple and a clean bright red with a big bunch of golden stamens. As all peonies , the plant is sturdy and longlived - they can live for 60 years or more, even if in garden conditions it my prove slightly finicky at taking its place and start blooming.
Alas as for all Peonies wild and not, the blooming period is fleetingly short, depending as well on the weather conditions. Rain or a sudden blast of heat can reduce the already short display of flowers.
Never the less the sight of a whole meadow of blooming wild peonies has no equal!
The Zau de Campie Natural Parc can be visited during the blooming period.
Specialised nurseries which sell botanical species of peonies can supply the P. tenuifolia.
