Paeonia hybrids

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.