With inspiring flowers, rich colors and captivating fragrances, peonies have long been a springtime staple in perennial gardens and landscape designs. But these ‘Queens of the Garden’ aren’t just pretty faces. Once established, peonies are hardy, long-lived and surprisingly low maintenance.
Peonies belong to the plant genus Paeonia and are members of the Paeoniaceae family. Native to parts of Asia, Europe and North America, they have been cultivated for centuries and prized for their extravagant blossoms and endearing fragrance.
If you’re looking to add these Queens of the Garden to your landscape this growing season, consider the variety of peonies appropriate for your space, location and design. There are three varieties from which to choose.
They include herbaceous perennial peonies. In the Midwest, herbaceous peonies die back to the ground in late fall. Tree peonies, which are actually shrubs, maintain their woody stems year-round. Intersectional or Itoh hybrids combine the best traits of both herbaceous perennial and tree peonies.
Karl Rosenfield Peony (Paeonia lactiflora ‘Karl Rosenfield’) – cherry-red, old-fashioned hybrid
Growth Habit
Quintessential Midwest plants, peonies typically thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. Bloom times range from late spring to early summer. And with proper care, peonies can thrive for decades.
Peonies form upright clumps that range from 1½ to 4 feet tall and wide, depending on variety. Foliage is lush deep green and leaves are often deeply lobed, which provides a pleasing appearance before blooming and after flowers fade. At the start, buds swell and open to spectacular flowers in a wide range of styles. The most popular have names like “anemone,” “bomb,” “full double,” “Japanese,” “semi-double” and “single.”
Flower colors are as dramatic as their styles, in pastel and bright tones. Peonies come in blush to deep pink, creamy white, bold red, rich magenta and sunny yellow. Scents vary from delicate rose to citrus and spicy. Blooms make excellent cut flowers in the home as well as in the garden and in containers.
Duchess de Nemours Peony (Paeonia lactiflora ‘Duchesse de Nemours’) – creamy white, herbaceous peony
Peonies are long-lived and don’t tolerate transplanting, so it’s important to select the plant’s home right from the start. They need ample light to bloom well. So, choose a site that gets full sun for at least six hours each day. Peonies also don’t like having their roots overly wet, so make sure to select a planting site where soil is rich and drains well.
Planting Tips
Before you plant a bare root peony, take a look at its roots. You’ll notice they have little buds or “eyes.” Plant the roots so that the buds, or “eyes,” are no deeper than 1 to 2 inches below the soil’s surface. Plant too deep and you’ll have gorgeous foliage – but fewer flowers.
Work compost or aged manure into the soil to support strong growth and flowering. After planting, add a layer of leaf or shredded hardwood bark mulch to improve the soil. Mulch also inhibits weeds and helps soil retain moisture.
Sarah Bernhardt Peony (Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’) – dramatic large full double blooms
Peonies planted in groupings can be used to provide definition along a sidewalk or camouflage a foundation. If this is your goal, space plants 3 to 4 feet apart to ensure good air circulation, which helps prevent disease.
Vigorous root systems develop in the first two to three years after planting. To ensure new peonies are off to a good start, water them consistently to support root growth. Generally, this is about once per week and twice per week if the weather is particularly hot and dry.
Peony Care
Peonies are pollinator magnets, drawing butterflies, honeybees and bumblebees to its sweet nectar. Relatively resistant to pests, deer, rabbits and diseases, peonies can occasionally suffer from botrytis blight when foliage is exposed to especially damp conditions. Good air circulation and careful watering targeting the soil at the base of the plant – not watering from above and over its foliage – will help minimize this problem.
‘Kansas’ Peony (Paeonia x lactiflora ‘kansas’) – fragrant rose-type flowers on strong dark stems
Peonies are “mature” after about three to five years of growth. Mature plants require less care and are considered drought tolerant, although they will benefit from deep watering during dry spells. Apply compost or a balanced, slow-release fertilizer annually in early spring to sustain growth.
Prolific bloomers, peony’s flowers can be heavy. But the plant’s natural habit is to cascade. Providing structural support with peony rings and the like is a matter of personal preference. As flowers fade, deadhead spent blooms to help the plant maintain its structure and conserve energy. Cut peonies to the ground in fall to avoid disease.
Peonies thrive in the Midwest’s four seasons. In winter, cold temperatures help stimulate strong blooming. Snow provides peonies an ideal insulator, protecting the Queen of the Garden’s roots from deep freezes. If you add peonies to the landscape later in the season, do so between late September and late November, so roots have plenty of time to settle in before being crowned by the first frost.
Learn More About Loma Vista Nursery’s Landscape Plants
Loma Vista Nursery grows peonies and a variety of trees, shrubs and perennial plants for Midwest independent garden centers, landscape contractors and wholesale distributors. Our staff members – experts in the field – love helping people learn about plants and the healthy varieties we grow.
Spring ordering is underway for the trade industry! Review Loma Vista Nursery’s plant catalog for information and visit our website to learn about our values and best practices as a Midwest plant grower. For help with orders and plant-related questions, send an email to sales@lomavistanursery.com or call (785) 229-7200.
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