A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Peonies

All three types offer something different, from shade tolerance to long bloom seasons

Do n’t get their beauty gull you . Peonies ( Paeoniaspp . and cvs . , USDA Hardiness Zones 3–8 ) are not high - maintenance prima donna . Despite their gorgeous bloom of youth , peony , once established , are some of the most easygoing perennials you ’ll ever produce .

For most of us , old - fashioned herbaceous paeony are the first case of peony that come to take care . But that ’s just scratch the Earth’s surface . There is also the tree peony , which the Chinese have cultivated for well over a thousand year , and the intersectional ( or Itoh ) peony , which was first introduced by its namesake in the late 1940s after successfully crossing a tree paeony with an herbaceous variety . All three type are cold hardy , deer resistant , and comparatively pest - free , and they require next to no humoring .

But we all know the real rationality that gardeners go gaga over paeony — and it ’s not because peony are not bad-tempered . How could anyone hold out those blossom ? Although all peonies are beautiful , there are some significant differences among the three types of peony . From flower time to stem strength to sweetness , each type has its own merchandising points and a few different grow predilection . You might even find that one kind suits your garden full than the others .

Herbaceous varieties offer the longest bloom season

The herbaceous paeony is the type your grandparent would know best . And it still ranks as America ’s well - deal paeony for two reasons : It ’s often the least expensive , and it offers the panoptic range of bloom times . Although a single plant may only flower for a hebdomad or two , you may have peony blossom for up to seven weeks if you plant a mix of very ahead of time to very tardy bloomers . And because peony are often classified by their salad days period , it does n’t take much enquiry to make a long - lasting show . You ’ll find that heirloom variety show often boast heavenly fragrances and KO flower , but they ’re also prostrate to fall through in the rainwater . If you do n’t want to trouble oneself with staking , assay out newer herbaceous hybrids with stronger stems ; just be prepared for unscented peak . Fragrance is often one of the first traits sacrifice in the interbreeding appendage .

For the best results , plant herbaceous paeony in Zones 3 to 8 and give them sight of sunshine and fertile soil with a pH of at least 6.0 . As their name suggests , herbaceous peonies die back each decline . To forestall pests and diseases from overwintering , cut the plant ’s stem readable to the ground shortly after the first freeze and drop away the debris .

‘ Rare Flower of Frost Dew ’ Photo / Illustration : Cricket Hill Gardens

‘Rare Flower of Frosty Dew’

‘ Rare Flower of Frosty Dew ’ is a late - blooming Formosan variety with skyward - confront , intensely fragrant blooming .

Name : P. lactiflora‘Rare Flower of Frosty Dew ’ ( syn . ‘ Qi Hua Lu Shuang’)Type : HerbaceousSize:3 feet tall and 2 feet all-inclusive ; 5- to 6 - inch - diameter prime

‘Festiva Maxima’

An heirloom diverseness that never lose favor , ‘ Festiva Maxima ’ is still one of the most fragrant peonies you may buy . Whereas most double flower form are abruptly - live in raging , humid weather , this variety is an exclusion . Warm - climate gardeners typically have the best luck , however , with single or semi - twofold , early - time of year bloomers .

Name : P. lactiflora‘Festiva Maxima’Type : HerbaceousSize:3 feet improbable and 2 to 3 feet wide ; 5- to 7 - inch - diameter blooms

Tree peonies boast the biggest blooms

Just as bulbs are waning but before most perennial kick into gear wheel , tree peonies offer a welcome pop of color . They are among the first peonies to bud , and their heyday , once in full open , can sweep a animal foot broad . If you thought you did n’t have enough Lord’s Day to rise peony , think again . Tree peonies actually grow better in partial tone . ( Too much sun makes their flowers fade faster . ) Five to six hr of morning luminosity is ideal . They spring up best in rich soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.2 , which mimics their native land in China . ripe plants may eventually need cutting . By increase air circulation and twinkle , you make the works less attractive to diseases and pest . If branches get too dull , make out out inordinate interior growth in late winter , leaving behind the six to 10 strongest branches .

Tree peonies bud on old wood , so do n’t make the fault of cutting them to the ground . curtly after the first frost , however , you should snip off all the foliage to keep diseases from overwinter . Because these woody bush do n’t die back , they ’re more vulnerable to winter damage and , therefore , less cold-blooded brave than herbaceous or intersectional varieties . nurseryman in Zones 4 to 8 have the right winner .

‘Flying Swallow in a Red Dress’

When the flowers of the vigorously growing ‘ Flying Swallow in a Red Dress ’ first open , they have a howling racy rose fragrance , which mellows as the flush slicing .

Name : P. suffruticosa‘Flying Swallow in a Red Dress ’ ( syn . ‘ Fei Yan Hong Zhuang’)Type : TreeSize:4 animal foot tall and wide ; 8 - inch - diam blooms

‘Snow Lotus’

Name : P. rockii‘Snow Lotus ’ ( syn . ‘ Xue Lian’)A immobile agriculturist that hulk above most tree peonies , ‘ Snow Lotus ’ can scent a whole section of a garden when it ’s in full bloom . Mature plants hoist dozens of efflorescence well above the foliage , take a shit them prosperous to look up to .

character : TreeSize:5 invertebrate foot tall and 4 groundwork wide ; 8- to 10 - inch - diam blooms

Intersectionals sport the wildest colors

A cross between the tree diagram and herbaceous peony , the intersectional peony offer the best of both world . Like the tree peony , it boasts huge flower ; attractive , long - lasting leaf ; and woody stem that require no staking . But it has the same cold hardiness and growth round as an herbaceous peony . ( shorten back intersectional peonies after the first frost as you would an herbaceous change . ) Best of all , intersectional variety are less vulnerable to botrytis blight than their parent plants and recover remarkably fast after root division .

But what really make gardener swoon are its flowers in outstanding shades of scandalmongering and lavender . Such vibrant gloss make it well-situated to go for that most of the blooms are scant on fragrance . But because intersectional peonies are the production of hybridizers and not nature , they are subject to some instability . On any give class , a whole plant may blossom in a slightly unlike shade or one - half of a bloom will be a dissimilar color than the other half . For many gardener , however , this unpredictability makes intersectional paeony all the more interesting .

‘Julia Rose’

Name : P.‘Julia Rose’This gorgeous other bloomer grow quickly , requires no staking , and produces loads of spicy - perfumed flower . Peach , pinkish , and sensationalistic flowers often appear on ‘ Julia Rose ’ all at once .

Type : IntersectionalSize:2 1/2 foot tall and 31/2 feet wide ; 4 - inch - diameter bloom

‘Bartzella’

Perhaps the most notable yellow peony , ‘ Bartzella ’ is a shapely flora that looks great in and out of salad days . outpouring is its glory season , however , when dozens of sizable , lemon - scented flowers adorn this vigorous cultivator .

Name : P.‘Bartzella’Type : IntersectionalSize:2 1/2 feet tall and 4 feet wide ; 7- to 9 - column inch - diam blooms

Give Them a Good Start: How to Grow Peonies

Before a paeony can become a tough , modest - maintenance plant , it needs to get its foothold . plant in fall so that the root scheme gets a head teacher start , mulching to forestall frost heaving , and watering during wry spells all help ensure a just first year , as will the following five tips :

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