Cheeky Pink

Cheeky Pink, a large bomb double flower, opens deep mauve pink shades. The pigments are deeper at opening and remain deep longer in cool spring conditions. The color eventually pales in the sun imparting a slight frosted appearance toward the margins on mature petals. Two rows of broad petal segments surround a large center ball of staminoid and petaloid segments. The staminodes form a wide, buff collar around a large tuft of pink petalodes. The staminodes show in a range of colors from cream to tan color while the petalodes are of the same pink shade as the petals. The softly fragrant flower is of good substance and a pleasing, well-tailored form. Flower buds are round, nearly 1-inch in diameter, the sepals overlapping completely enclosing the inner parts of the flower before opening. The bush is vigorous and of good increase, growing a full clump within four years of planting. Cheeky Pink is a genetic semi-dwarf peony, and the compact bush is short reaching a height of less than 20-inches. The flower is about 7-inches in diameter. It is a dependable bloomer with substantial color on mounded plant. Stout stems carry the flower close to the foliage; the bush keeps its structure well even in inclement weather conditions. The stems are erect and self-supporting. Staking is not required if grown fully exposed to the sun and good growing conditions. Foliage size, stem height, and flower dimensions are proportional and pleasing to the eye. Flowering stems have 1 to 3 side buds that start opening after the main flower reaches maturity, providing color for a longer amount of time. The bush is covered with a generous amount of foliage. The stems are clothed from top to bottom with leaves. The leaflets are about 3-inches long and quite narrow, the bottom leaves are larger. The foliage is semi-glossy, deep green and remains healthy throughout the growing season. This cultivar apparently has resistance to fungal disease, exhibiting only some negligent amount of black spot here in Northwest Missouri toward the end of summer when growing conditions are brutally hot and humid. Cheeky Pink exhibits improvements over the existing varieties such as short plant size, fragrance, and apparent resistance to fungal disease. The qualities of interest to the home gardener are ease of care, dependability and the amount of bloom. This variety is an exemplary representative of our Best Landscaper® collection, a perfect specimen for the near flower border where it will shine during bloom season, year after year. Colors Flower: Petals Flower: Staminode Foliage Pink (mauve range) Tan (buff range) Deep Green (forest green range) Best Use Fragrant variety; near border; general garden and landscape use; perennial border; mass plantings; deer resistant. Basic Growing Requirements Full Sun. Water as needed, sensitive to over-watering and waterlogged conditions. Soil pH 6.5-7. Fertile, well-draining soil. Disclosure The image(s) above shows the actual cultivar named and described on this page. The pictures are a fair and accurate depiction of the flowers as they are, in vivo, and are not staged or altered otherwise. The descriptions are based on our experience with plants that are grown by us here in NW Missouri. ALL ORDERS SHIP BARE ROOT AFTER HARVEST AND USDA INSPECTION IN LATE SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER.