Paeonia brownii

Paeonia brownii is a western North American peony with small drooping flowers about 1-2 inches across that are tightly packed with pistils, stamens and persistent sepals. The fleshy, bluish-green foliage is deeply lobed on strong sturdy stems. There's no comparison to the peonies we all know and love. This one is an anomaly and for serious collectors! Growing requirements are a dormant winter under snow, a spring of transient wet, and a hot, dry summer to bake it into dormancy. All this and extremely well-drained soil. Western peony is a near-native to Canada occurring from Washington, Idaho and Montana south to California. Pollinated by wasps and bees. Photo: Wikimedia

This is one of two peonies that are native to the United States. Maroon blooms often edged with yellow hang upside-down from single stalks, with blue-green fleshy foliage and divided leaves.