Paeonia hybrids
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- py-OH-nee-ah HY-brids
- Description
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Peonies are woody or herbaceous perennials in the Paeoniaceae family often planted for their very large, showy flowers. Some cultivars are fragrant.
This plant does well in full sun to light shade and prefers deep, fertile soils that are well-drained. Locate them in an area that gets good air circulation, not up against a home or a wall. They like some afternoon shade and will require quite a bit of water in the early part of the growing season to establish their leaves and flower buds. They can take quite a while to establish and often will not produce flowers for the first year or two. Once established, however, plants can live for decades.
Each plant will bloom for about 7–10 days in the late spring to early summer so planting a variety of peonies with staggered bloom time will help extend the season. They can be easily divided in the fall after blooming and spread around the landscape. Plants may require support for double flowers especially if they become wet with rain. The foliage remains attractive through the fall.
Peonies grow well in the mountains and cooler Piedmont but languish in warm areas because their chilling requirement is difficult meet. They do best in zones 5–7 but can grow in zones 3–8. If you are in a warm area, plant low chill types, such as 'Edulis Superba', 'Felix Crousse', 'Festiva Maxima', 'Mons. Jules Elie' and 'Sarah Bernhardt' on cool, north-facing slopes. Overly shaded sites can inhibit flowering. This plant is outcompeted by tree roots when planted close to trees.
Often utilized as a specimen plant, in massing, and as cut flowers.
Quick ID Hints:
- Herbs with gigantic flowers of various colors
- Flowers multi-petaled
- Leaves pinnately compound
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Ants may be present on flower buds but are totally harmless. Shake or dunk flowers before bringing them inside. Good air circulation discourages fungal diseases.
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Davidson County Demo Garden Plant Walls and Hedges Rock & Water Garden Reynolda Palm House and Gardens Juniper Level Botanic Gardens: Muscadine Bed Herb & Flower Cottage Garden Backyard Patio Flowers Galore
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Bartzella'
Yellow petals with reddish flower center. An Itoh hybrid (a hybrid between a woody and herbaceous peony) - 'Edulis Superba'
Low chill hour requirement - 'Eliza Lundy'
- 'Felix Crausse'
Low chill hour requirement - 'Festiva Maxima'
Low chill hour requirement - 'Golden Sunrise'
- 'Golden Sunshine'
- 'Mons. Jules Elie'
Low chill hour requirement - 'Paul M. Wilder'
Fushia blooms - 'Raspberry Sundae'
Large, light pink blooms - 'Red Charm'
- ‘Red Magic’
- 'Sarah Bernhardt'
Low chill hour requirement
- 'Bartzella'
- 'Bartzella', 'Edulis Superba', 'Eliza Lundy', 'Felix Crausse', 'Festiva Maxima', 'Golden Sunrise', 'Golden Sunshine', 'Mons. Jules Elie', 'Paul M. Wilder', 'Raspberry Sundae', 'Red Charm', ‘Red Magic’, 'Sarah Bernhardt'
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Bartzella'
Yellow petals with reddish flower center. An Itoh hybrid (a hybrid between a woody and herbaceous peony) - 'Edulis Superba'
Low chill hour requirement - 'Eliza Lundy'
- 'Felix Crausse'
Low chill hour requirement - 'Festiva Maxima'
Low chill hour requirement - 'Golden Sunrise'
- 'Golden Sunshine'
- 'Mons. Jules Elie'
Low chill hour requirement - 'Paul M. Wilder'
Fushia blooms - 'Raspberry Sundae'
Large, light pink blooms - 'Red Charm'
- ‘Red Magic’
- 'Sarah Bernhardt'
Low chill hour requirement
- 'Bartzella'
- 'Bartzella', 'Edulis Superba', 'Eliza Lundy', 'Felix Crausse', 'Festiva Maxima', 'Golden Sunrise', 'Golden Sunshine', 'Mons. Jules Elie', 'Paul M. Wilder', 'Raspberry Sundae', 'Red Charm', ‘Red Magic’, 'Sarah Bernhardt'
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Paeonia
- Species:
- hybrids
- Family:
- Paeoniaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Wildlife Value:
- Attracts butterflies and pollen-eating beetles.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Fruits are a dry spreading follicle with a suture that splits open (dehiscing) to release one or a few fleshy black seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Solitary
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Good Cut
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Cup
- Flower Petals:
- 7 - 20 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 3-6 inches
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are solitary to several, 3-6" in diameter, very fragrant, cup shaped, single to semi-double to double, and are variously colored in anthocyanin or carotenoid pigments. They have 5 sepals that are green in color. Flowers have 5-10 petals, are broad, obovate, and obtuse. There are numerous stamens on some petaloids. There are 2-8 pistils.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are basal and cauline, alternate, and pinnately compound. Leaflets are elliptic to lanceolate, entire, sometimes lobed, and 6-8" long.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Thick soft twigs.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Cottage Garden
- Garden for the Blind
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Mass Planting
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Rabbits
- Problems:
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses