Peony History Timeline

100 Years of Bloom

2001

2001

Pat Holloway, a horticulture professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, plants the first test plot of peonies in Georgeson Botanical Garden. Holloway’s experiment turns into a successful export business for Alaska, with 300,000 peony blossoms exported in 2021 with a retail price of about $5 per bloom.

In world history: World Trade Center towers fall in New York City after a terrorist attack
2002

2002

Sonoma Apricot (Intersetional Beds) introduced; bred by Mrs. Tolomeo.

2005

2005

Hong Deyuan, the head of the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, visits Oregon’s Wallowa County to collect specimens of native peonies as part of his global research on Paeonia brownii, a peony native to the western United States. Wallowa resident and peony enthusiast Anne Oveson alerted Deyuan to the wild peony’s presence in the county.

In world history: Hurricane Katrina hits Louisiana and New Orleans
2008

2008

A Chinese study looked at the antidepressant-like effect of peony glycosides in mice

In world history: Barack Obama wins 2008 American presidential election
2008

2008

Peony Advisory Board organized to guide the historic renewal of this Peony Garden

2010

2010

Last set of peonies (including three of the missing Upjohn favorites, as Pride of Langport – Bed 22) dug from Brook Lodge and brought to the Peony Garden

2012

2012

Revised Peony Garden Plan developed by Director Grese

2013

2013

2013

Memorandum of Understanding establshing our Sister Garden relationship with the Central Botanical Gardens – Minsk, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus

2014

2014

Historic Herbaceous Peonies received from the Lyoyang Tree and Flower Nursery (Bed 11)

2014

2014

W. E. Upjohn Peony Garden Fund initiated