Seedling number not given. Parentage: officinalis x albiflora. Medium sized flower, semi-double. Guards dark red, large, inner petals narrower and informally arranged, interspersed with stamens with yellow anthers and red filaments. Carpels enclosed in a cap of petals. Its glisten and polish is unusual in such a dark flower. Very early.

Award of Landscape Merit (ALM) description: ‘Buckeye Belle’ (Mains, 1956) Herbaceous Hybrid, Semi-double, Early, 30?, Mild scent — Moderately large flowers composed of four, or so, layers of large, dark mahogany red, cupped and rounded outer petals and narrower and more deeply cut central petaloids, interspersed among thick, yellow anthers. Centers can appear turbulent, varying from bloom to bloom and developing with age. Bowl-shaped blooms ultimately flatten and widen with age, especially in full sun. Blooms are held erect above the foliage with stems spreading slightly apart at the top of the bush. Excellent color all day—in subdued light, or when backlight in the morning or late afternoon. Leaflets are smaller and slightly warmer green than those of most non-hybrids. Spring foliage is notable for its burgundy tones. Vigorous—matures to two dozen stems, with a favorable rate of increase when divided. Roots may be more prone to rot than other cultivars in chronically wet soils, or when improperly stored after lifted for div ision. Scored high in Gold Medal deliberations the last three years. 2010 Gold Medalist and 2011 Peony of the Year