Chinese Peony, Garden Peony 'Lora Dexheimer'

Per the 1928 Lee R. Bonnewitz Iris and Peony catalog of Van Wert, Ohio:
LORA DEXHEIMER (Brand). The brightest red Peony we know, b...Read Morelooming very early in the season, on medium height stems. The stems are strong and the bloom prolific, and during its blooming season, it is the best red landscape variety in the garden. Valuable also for cut blooms. If its blooming period were as long as that of PHILIPPE RIVOIRE, it would approach that variety in price. $3.00

Per the APS website:
LORA DEXHEIMER (Brand, 1913) - Double - Red - Midseason. Medium height. Fragrance not notable. Large, bright crimson, showing a light midrib on outer petals, center incurved, concealing a few stamens; floriferous; strong stems. Good foliage. Unusually good form for a red peony, and the color is clear and lively.

Lora Dexheimer is one of the peonies I grow in order to dry the blooms for dried arrangements. Fully double crimson red blooms.
...Read Morer /> I have had less success with this cultivar than any other I grow. It appears highly susceptible to botrytis blight and I have been fighting it each spring for two years (03-04) with funcicide and ended up moving it to a drier location since botrytis can spread due to contact from leaf to leaf, as well as in the soil. Other peonies around the area were not affected. When cut back to the ground and the area sprayed with fungicide, the resulting foliage came back well, however, fungus often reappeared after heavy rains.

This cultivar bloomed lightly the first year after planting and the flowers were very pretty, but if you are in an area that often gets higher than average rainfall in spring, I suggest looking for a cultivar with a better resistance to fungal infections.