Of all the imperial Paeonia rockii cultivars, Jing Yun Xiang is perhaps the most immediately arresting. Its name translates as "Scent of White Clouds" — and the moment you see it in bloom, you understand exactly why.
The Bloom
Jing Yun Xiang produces massive, fully double blooms of the purest white — great, luminous clouds of silken petals that seem almost to glow in the spring garden. But it is what lies at the heart of each bloom that makes this cultivar truly extraordinary: dramatic, bleeding midnight-black flares that radiate upward from the base of each petal, creating a breathtaking contrast against the white.
This is the defining characteristic of the Rockii tree peony — the dark flare — and in Jing Yun Xiang it is expressed with exceptional intensity. No photograph fully captures the effect of these blooms in person. They stop visitors in their tracks.
The Fragrance
Jing Yun Xiang is celebrated not only for its visual impact but for its fragrance — one of the finest in the entire peony world. The scent is sweet, complex, and deeply intoxicating: a rich floral perfume with warm, almost spiced undertones that carries on still spring air across an entire garden.
Plant Jing Yun Xiang near a path, a seating area, or a window that catches the morning sun, and the fragrance will become one of the defining sensory experiences of your spring garden.
Growth and Vigour
Jing Yun Xiang is noted among collectors for its vigorous, reliable growth. It establishes readily from a mature bare-root crown, produces strong woody stems that thicken impressively over the years, and flowers with increasing generosity as it matures. A well-established specimen will carry dozens of blooms simultaneously — each one a dinner-plate-sized masterpiece.
Like all authentic Paeonia rockii, Jing Yun Xiang is fully frost-hardy to well below -20°C and perfectly suited to the British climate. It will thrive in your garden for a century or more.
In the Garden
The pure white blooms of Jing Yun Xiang are extraordinarily versatile in garden design. They work beautifully in classic white garden schemes, provide luminous contrast in mixed borders, and create a focal point of almost theatrical drama when planted against a dark hedge or stone wall.
The white and black combination of petal and flare also photographs exceptionally well — making Jing Yun Xiang a favourite among garden photographers and designers seeking statement plants for high-end projects.
The Timeless Classic
Among the many magnificent Paeonia rockii cultivars, Jing Yun Xiang holds a special place as the quintessential Rockii — the variety that most perfectly embodies everything that makes these imperial plants so extraordinary. If you are adding your first Rockii tree peony to your garden, Jing Yun Xiang is an exceptional place to begin.
Supplied as a premium, mature 3+ stem bare-root crown for rapid establishment in your British garden.