Peonies Demand Little
and Give a Lot

Peonies are easy to grow, just provide them with the basics. You should plant these perennials in a sunny location with average, well-drained garden soil.

A spot with good air circulation will help minimize leaf spotting and fungal diseases. The only insect pests of any consequence on them are scales and Japanese beetles.

Don't get alarmed when you see ants on the peony buds in spring. These insects are merely enjoying the sugary syrup produced by the buds and are doing no harm to the plant. They only enjoy these flowers as you do when they full bloom.

In addition to their extreme hardiness (many peony plants can make it through Zone 2 winters!), they are treasured as fragrant cut flowers that make magnificent bouquets. They include a variety of flower forms and beautiful colors with attractive foliage that remains long after the flowers have faded.

Peony flowers can serve as an interesting accent along a shrub border, fence or wall; if planted quite close together, a fine informal hedge effect can be created.

New Colors, New Forms

Pink Hawaiian Coral leads the parade of new peony varieties. This peony is a winner of a Gold Medal from the American Peony Society. The delightfully fragrant flowers are held high on 34-36" stems. You can get them at the peonies department of Dutch Gardens.com.

Red Charm Peony	Pink Hawaiian Coral Peony	Goldmine Double Peony

Peony trees

They are blooming earlier than regular peony species, but tree peonies are truly spectacular. Their silky petals have a luminous effect that really stands out. The fragrance is rich and strong. Although they look more like shrubs than trees, these peony flowers can reach 6 feet tall.




Old Favorites

These are popular ones for many years:

Sorbet: soft pink
Karl Rosenfield: scarlet
Sarah Bernhardt: pink
Festiva Maxima: white

Some planting tips:

Peonies prefer a clay soil rather than a sandy soil. In clay soil, they will develop fat storage roots that can hold it through prolonged drought in late summer. In sandy soil, there will be more and smaller roots - a perfect feast for certain bad nematodes.

A bare peony root should be placed with its eyes ( pink or reddish buds) pointing upwards at the right distance from the surface. The right distance depends on your climate. These eyes will develop into stems next spring.

Keep in mind they like cold during the winter. It helps them to overcome their natural fall dormancy, ready for bloom the next spring. In zones 3 to 5 plant the tallest eye tip about 2 inches below the surface. In zone 8 you might even let the tip of the tallest eye barely show at surface level. If a potted peony does not bloom after a year or two, it should be dug up in the fall and replanted according to these specifications.