Paeonia (Peonies)

Intersectional or Itoh Peonies

• These are hybrids, resulting from crossing a herbaceous peony with a tree peony.
• They produce up to 50 or more huge flowers on sturdy short stems that do not require staking.
• They generally bloom after the herbaceous peonies for 3-4 weeks.
• Excellent as cut flowers, they are valued for their terrific array of yellow and gold colors.
• These plants have the lovely leaf form of the tree peonies but die to the ground in the winter like herbaceous peonies.
• Strong and healthy, with a nice rounded bush form, they are typically shorter than most peony bushes.
• Growing up to 2.5 ft. (75 cm) tall by about three ft. wide (90 cm), their compact form and lovely shape allow them to be placed at the front of the border.

Tree Peonies

• Tree peonies are woody perennial shrubs that thrive in hardiness zones 4 to 9. They bloom before the herbaceous peonies (April – May) and produce huge flowers.
• They stand upright and do not require staking. They grow slowly up to 3-7 ft. (90-210 cm).
• After blooming, the tree peony provides a lovely structure to the garden, with its deep green foliage in summer turning bronze and purple in fall.

When do Peonies Bloom?

• They bloom over a six-week season, starting with the tree peonies, followed by the herbaceous peonies, and finishing up with the intersectional peonies.
• Blooms occur in late spring – early summer, starting in April and through May and June. It should be noted that the blooming season will last longer in cooler weather, while it will be profuse but relatively brief if the weather is very hot and sunny.
• Peony flowers last a relatively short period, approximately 7-10 days. However, they do not all bloom at the same time. Therefore, to fill your garden with continuously blooming peonies throughout the season for up to 6 weeks, you may plan to plant a variety of cultivars from very early, early, mid-season, and late-season peonies. Learn how to extend your peonies season to up to 6 weeks.

How to Choose Peonies?

There are over 3 000 peony cultivars available (!!!), and you may want to determine first what you are exactly looking for before buying. Here are a few criteria to help you find the right peony for your garden.

• Award winners: outstanding peonies granted prestigious awards from the American Peony Society or the Royal Horticultural Society
• Bad weather: peonies that can withstand rain, wind, or heat
• Bloom time: peonies flower for a relatively short period, approximately 7-10 days, during an overall blooming season that lasts six weeks.
• Color: peonies are available in many colors, including white, pink, red, coral, or yellow.
• Form: peony flowers may be single, semi-double, fully double, Japanese, and offer various lovely shapes: Anemone and Single (1 row of guard petals), Lotus (2 to 3 rows of guard petals), Chrysanthemum (4 to 8 rows of guard petals), Rose (up to 20 rows of guard petals), Golden Circle (golden stamens ring at the heart of the flower), Crown (1 to 2 rows of guard petals and an inner tuft of short curly petals) or Hundred Proliferate (very large flowers, fuller than the rose form)
• Fragrance: peonies may be unscented, slightly, moderately, or very fragrant.
• Size: peony bushes range from 2 ft (60 cm) to 7 ft (210 cm)
• Type: herbaceous peony, tree peony, or Itoh peony
• No staking: peonies that do not require support

When to plant Peony flowers

• The best time to plant peonies is in early fall, so they will have time to become established in the soil before the first hard frost.

Where to Plant Peony Flowers

• Peonies grow best in cool climates (Hardiness zones 3-8). They need a pronounced period of winter chilling to bloom well. In the southern states, choose early-blooming varieties, plant them about an inch deep, and provide some shade.
• They perform best in full sun to part shade. Full sun is better as peonies bloom best in sunny spots except in the South, where afternoon shade is appreciated and will help the flowers last longer.
• They love deep, fertile, humus-rich, moist soils and well-drained soils.
• Soil pH should be neutral (pH 7.0) or, at the most, only slightly acidic.
• These plants require good drainage. If your soil is heavy or very sandy, enrich it with compost. Incorporate about 1 cup of bonemeal into the soil.
• Peonies are very arresting plants for the landscape and may be planted individually or in mass in borders, beds, wall-side borders, and cottage gardens. They are ideal for bordering a walk or driveway or as informal hedges.
• Peony plants do not respond well to transplanting, so choose your planting location carefully!
• Peony plants have many companion plants, including Alliums, Bearded Irises, Siberian Irises, Columbines, Spring Bulbs, Roses, and small shrubs and trees.

How to plant Peonies

• Space your peony plants three to four feet apart (90-120 cm) to ensure good air circulation.
• Plant them away from trees or shrubs, as peonies dislike competing for food and moisture. Provide shelter from strong winds.
• Dig a hole about two feet deep (60 cm) and two feet across (60 cm).
• Add a four inches (10 cm) layer of organic matter such as compost, pine bark, or well-aged manure. A half cup of good plant food (10-6-4), bone meal, or superphosphate should be mixed into this layer.
• Set the root so the eyes face upward on the firmed soil, placing the root just two in. (5 cm) below the soil surface.
• Backfill the hole, ensuring the soil doesn’t bury the root deeper than two in. (5 cm), or your peony may not bloom. Water thoroughly.
• Peonies do not flower during the first year of planting and may take up to two years to produce their showy, fragrant blooms.

How to Care for Peonies

• Peonies almost thrive on neglect. Unlike most perennials, they don’t need to be dug and divided.
• They require regular, deep watering, specifically during the dry summer months.
• Apply a spring layer of 2-4 in. (5-10 cm) organic mulch to help to preserve the soil moisture.
• This mulch must be removed and destroyed before winter, and a new, fresh winter mulch of loose straw or evergreen boughs must be added to help control diseases.
• Staking may be required as the large flowers tend to arch toward the ground and may be driven to the ground by a hard rain.
• Remove spent flowers as they fade, cutting to a strong leaf so the stem doesn’t stick out of the foliage.
• Cut back after the foliage has died down in the fall to avoid any overwintering disease.

Fertilizer

• Peonies should be fed in early spring and again halfway through the growing season.
• Cultivate a half cup of low nitrogen fertilizer (5-10-10) into the soil when new growth is about 2 or 3 in. high (5-7 cm).
• Ensure not to damage the roots, and keep the fertilizer from direct contact with them.
• Over-fertilizing, especially with high-nitrogen plant food, results in weak stems and reduced flowering.

Pests and Diseases

• Few insect pests bother peony bushes.
• Peonies are prone to Verticillium wilt, ringspot virus, tip blight, stem rot, Botrytis blight, left blotch, Japanese beetle, and nematodes.
• Never spray the ants crawling on the peony buds, as they are protecting them against bud-eating pests.