America
Group: HH
Year Registered: 1976
Breeder/registrant: Rudolph
Parentage: Burma Ruby x unknown
Registration description:
Official registration can be found at: The American Peony Society
Single, Parentage Burma Ruby x unknown. First bloomed 1960. Early. Fiery red flower, tulip like cupped buds, ruffled flower petals. Has pollen and stamens, no seeds. Blooms are 30% larger than Burma Ruby. 28″ height. Exceptionally strong stems. 8-10 blooms on a three-year-old plant. Clean green foliage, center of flower, pure yellow. Seedling # 60-62. Name suggested by Lois E. Klehm.
Award of Landscape Merit (ALM) description: ‘America’ (Rudolph, 1976) Herbaceous Hybrid, Early mid-season, Tall and columnar 39?, Mild scent — A large, cool medium red single with a yellow tuft of stamens carried atop exceptionally strong upright stems, blanketing with red the dark green foliage beneath. ‘America’ develops into a large plant quickly with three-year old plants having many full length stems, while a five year plant can have an estimated 30 stems. Whether used as a specimen or en masse, ‘America’ provides a truly exceptional presentation in the landscape and is considered by one venerable grower to have the best carrying power of all the reds. Leaflets are large and do not reach to the ground, leaving the lower portion of the stems exposed. First year blooms are not the least bit diminished in size, making a spectacle of themselves on short plantlets. Emerges early, withstands late freezes well and has the ability to readily restore itself after wind and rain. No side buds. Excellent increase, easily divided after three seasons, a rare trait for a hybrid. 1992 Gold Medalist
