Peonies, The Manual of the American Peony Society, edited by James Boyd © 1928 American Peony Society: [Descriptive List of Chinese Peonies]:
LADY ALEXANDRA DUFF. (Kelway, 1902.) 9.1.
Double type; large; midseason. Blooms are borne in clusters, with smaller, saucer-shaped side flowers; pale blush-pink, almost white, with yellow stamens mixed with a few irregular petals in the center; fair fragrance. Medium height; very floriferous; stems strong. Foliage abundant.
In some seasons it is decidedly pink, especially on the back of the blooms near the calyx. As usually seen, the flowers are charming and informal and the plant is very graceful.
"Terminal flowers on established plants are well filled out. A first-class exhibition bloom, and one of the most beautiful of all peonies."—Saunders.
"A first-class exhibition bloom. The laterals, if not disbudded, will produce semi-double flowers."—Thurlow.
"Often one of our greatest show peonies."—Brand.
Lady Alexandra Duff (Kelway 1891), delicate gay & blush-pink turning paler, with carmine blotches on sd some central petals. Very large broad-petalled flowers borne in clusters. Side flowers single to semi-double of saucer shape with gold anthers. A hand-.some plant. One of the very finest of all paeonies for exhibition and garden, and continuously in flower. VFF.T.EL. S & SD
listed by:
'Lady Alexandra Duff (Kelway, 1902),Li,B,1-3/ 80-100,70,mittel,zartrosa,C1/A3,Breit; kompakt; Blüten halb gefüllt.
Lady A. Duff, [ P. sinensis c) Gefüllt und halbgefüllt blühende Pracht-Pfingstrosen 1. Grundton rosa] prächtig lachsrosa, msp.
Lady Alex. Duff, [Paeonia sinensis Gefüllt blühende Sorten] besonders grossblumig, rosa, im Verblühen in weiss übergehend
Lady Alexand. Duff. [Paeonia albiflora Gefüllt blühende Sorten] Sehr großblumig, leuchtend rosa
Lady Alex Duff, [Paeonia sinensis Gefülltblühende Sorten:] besonders großblumig, rosa, im Verblühen in weiß übergehend
Reiner Jakubowski
Lady Alexandra Duff (born 1891) was the daughter of Princess Louise of Wales and the Duke of Fife, whose family name was Duff. She was named for her grandmother Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII.
LADY ALEXANDRA DUFF (Kelway, 1902) - Double - Blush - Midseason. Medium height. Fair fragrance. Large. Blooms are borne in clusters, with smaller, saucer-shaped side flowers; pale blush-pink, almost white, with yellow stamens mixed with a few irregular petals in the center. Very floriferous; stems strong. Foliage abundant. In some seasons it is decidedly pink, especially on the back of the blooms near the calyx. As usually seen, the flowers are charming and informal and the plant is graceful. M.
Kortmann (1998)
'Lady Alexandra Duff' (Kelway, Engeland, 1902) Bloemen lichtroze (RHS CC 62C165B, Red Purple Group), bijna wit verbloeiend, gevuld; meeldraden geel, in het centrum soms vermengd met kleine petaloïden; bladeren dof grijsgroen, bovenzijde bladsteeltjes vaak bruinrood; hoogte 90 cm; bloemstengels stevig; vertakking goed tot zeer goed. Deze al bijna 100 jaar oude cultivar heeft haar waarde wel bewezen en wordt nog steeds in grote aantallen gekweekt. De plant is geschikt voor de tuin en het is ook een voortreffelijke pioen voor de snij. Bovendien is deze cultivar gezond en weinig gevoelig voor Botrytis en andere kwalen.
LADY ALEXANDRA DUFF (Kelway, 1902). Belle variété à grande fleur élégante rosé très tendre semi-double. Tiges solides, vigoureuses et florifères. Parfumée. Mi-saison. H. 0,90 m.
Sevald:
LADY ALEXANDRA DUFF (Kelway, 1902) Double, midseason. Large blooms, light pink to blush. This famous variety was introduced by Kelway in England; it has not always been available to American gardeners. It's great charm is best seen when used as a specimen plant, and contrary to the general rule, the side buds are not removed. Then when the great blooms are open, like so many ladies gathered at a garden party, the smaller, saucer shaped iide buds burst upon the scene, and each fine lady is joined by a string of bustling attendants
Lady Alexandra Duff Semi-double blush pink with white central petals. Opens from pink buds and highlighted by yellow stamens. Strongly scented.
LADY ALEXANDRA DUFF Superb double blush-pink flower with a large center flower surrounded by smaller side blooms so each strong stem makes a bouquet. Very floriferous in gardens. .
Lady Alexandra Duff: Tall, strong and free-blooming, with smallish, fragrant, blush-pink semi-double flowers in small clusters. This gracefully foliated cultivar lends a note of cottage-style informality to the garden.
Lady Alexandra Duff (Kelway 1902) ML. Semi-Double to loose double; light pink to blush, long petals make sumptuous flowers, luxurious and graceful. Mild fragrance. Medium-tall, vigorous, makes a stout bush. Fall color. Pollen and seeds, a most successful parent for doubles.seed parent of Summer Glow.
LADY ALEXANDRA DUFF (F)(M)(Kelway) Charming and informal loose double blooms are borne in clusters, with smaller saucer-shaped side flowers; pale blush pink, almost white, with yellow stamens mixed with a few irregular petals in the center; an old sweet English favorite,
Lady Alexandra Duff (Kelway, 1902) Blush, double, fragrant, midseason, 36" tall, lactiflora cultivar. The pale mauve-pink flowers lighten in the center. A much loved heirloom variety with a loose, romantic form.
'Lady Alexandra Duff' (Kelway 1902) : fl. double, rosé tendre à blanc
Subject:
[canpeony] Lady Alexandra Duff/Lady Alexander Duff
From:
Elisabeth & Richard Rundle
To: canpeony@yahoogroups.com
Sent: July 9, 2002 4:36 AM
I sent this query to Kelways
in the UK as I thought they had most probably bred the peony whose
name I was endeavouring to verify.
"Just one
particular point - is it Lady Alexandra Duff (ie title in her own
right) or Lady Alexander Duff (in which case I would have thought
Lady Duff would have sufficed except in the case I suppose of
multiple younger sons) - just curious......." and the answer
came back - Lady Alexandra Duff - it is sold under both names in
Australia. Does anyone know who LAD was? Presumably
Scottish......and probably in the Edwardian era when herbaceous
peonies were at their heyday in the UK.
From: "Reiner
Jakubowski"
Date: Tue Jul 9, 2002
1:00 pm
Subject: Re: [canpeony] Lady Alexandra Duff/Lady
Alexander Duff
APS Bulletin 255, pg 42.
"Lady
Alexandra Duff was the daughter of Princess Louise of Wales, and
the Duke of Fife, whose family name was Duff. She is the
granddaughter of Edward VII of England, and was named "Alexandra"
for her beautiful grandmother, Queen Alexandra.
She was born in
1891, and was a child of eleven years when Kelway named his famous
peony...."
------------
In Canada we see this in the
general garden centres under a number of different permutations of
names which include Lady A. Duff, Alexander Duff and more, very
often in the same garden centre side by side, when they have
purchased from more than one grower. To my mind this is an example
of the large producers' lack of time, lack of knowledge, and
perhaps even lack of interest in getting it right.
Don't
know whom to blame for this lack of regard for plant nomenclature.
Lady Alexandra Duff has experienced this problem for over 50
years, based on comments in the APS Bulletins, and is the worst
offender for this probably because it is so common in the general
nursery trade. Another you often find is Angela Cobb Freeborn
instead of the correct "Angelo Cobb Freeborn".
Reiner
Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk: index plantarum 2007, available under [link]: listed
