This shrub is next to the summerhouse.

Paeonia ludlowii common name Ludlow’s tree peony or Tibetan peony is native to south east Tibet. In Tibet it is known as “God’s flower”.

Named after Frank Ludlow who with George Sheriff collected seed from southeast Tibet in 1936.

A deciduous shrub growing to 2 to 3 m in height.

Leaves are light green above and glaucous pale green below. In the lowest leaves, the leaf stalk is 9 to 15 cm long, while the leaf blade is twice compounded or deeply divided, with the primary leaflets on a short stem of 2 to 3 cm, the leaflet blades 6 to 12 cm by 5 to 13 cm, those usually incised almost to the base, having three segments, at base extending along the stalk until disappearing. Each of the segments 4 to 9 cm by 1.5 to 4 cm, mostly incised to mid-length into three lobes of 2 to 5 cm by 5 mm to 1.5 cm, with an entire margin or one or two teeth, pointy at their tips.

Flowers grow three or four to a shoot, the shoots springing from the leaf axils. The flowers are 10 to 12 cm wide, are borne on pedicels 5 to 9 cm in length, and open in late May and early June. Each flower is subtended by four or five lance-shaped bracts. There are three to five green sepals with a rounded outline of 1.5 to 2.5 cm, which have a rounded tip narrowing abruptly to a point. The pure yellow, inverted egg-shaped petals are spreading but slightly curved inwards, 5 to 5.5 cm by 2.5 to 3.5 cm and have a rounded tip. The numerous filaments are yellow, 1 to 1.5 cm long, topped by yellow anthers about 4 mm in length . The yellow disc at the base of the carpels is ring-shaped, bears teeth, and stands about 1 mm in height. At the centre of each flower are one or two carpels that are topped by yellow stigma.

The carpels develop into cylindrical fruits of 4.7 to 7 cm by 2 to 3.3 cm. In August these reveal large, dark brown, globose seeds measuring about 1.3 cm in diameter.