Common name:Peony, Chinese Peony, Hybrid Peony
Family: Paeoniaceae, Peony
Height x width: 3' x 3'
Growth rate: slow
Foliage: alternate, biternate, elliptical to lanceolate leaflets either entire or lobed
Flowers: reds, pink, whites and combinations; various forms (see below); 3-6" across, usually quite fragrant; early summer; 5-10 day period of bloom
Hardiness: zones 3-8
Soil: well-drained
Light: sun, part shade for pastel colors especially in south
Pests and Problems: no flowering from excess shade or fertility prior to bloom, too deep planting, late spring freeze or tree root competition; botrytis and phythophthora blights, leaf spots, root rots, verticillium wilt, viruses, beetles, scales, nematodes, thrips; ants are often found on peony buds going after the sugary nectar but causing no problem to flowers
Landscape habit, uses: specimen in borders, cut flowers
Other interest: mostly native to China and adjacent regions of Asia, but some species found east to Mediterranean and Spain; named after the Greek physician Paeon, who Pluto supposedly changed into a flower; shown through geology to have existed 100,000 years ago
Other culture: some cultivars may lack sufficient cold in zone 8 to bloom; often need staking such as with peony rings or tomato cage halves
Propagation: division of clumps in late summer, early fall into 3-5 "eye" (buds on roots) pieces, plant only 1" deep; requires 3 years usually before reblooms; may live 50 years or more without division if sufficient space
Species:
Of the 20 or so species currently known, the following three are perhaps the most common in American gardens.
•lactiflora (lac-ti-floor' ah)--Hybrid Peony, as described above. species of many herbaceous hybrids especially more old-fashioned ones and often used strictly to refer to them, modern hybrids often complex crosses of other hybrids and species
•tenuifolia (ten-uu-i-fol' ee-ah)--Fernleaf Peony, zones 3-8, finely divided foliage like a "fern", deep red single flowers except for 'Plena' ('Flore Plena', 'Rubra Plena') with double flowers
•suffruticosa (suf-fruu-ti-co' sah)--Tree Peony or Moutan, zones 4-7, 3-5' erect and branched shrub with main woody stem(s), reds to white and even yellow 6-8" across, some produce 75-100 flowers over a 2-month spring-summer period; often grafted onto lactiflora; used in China over 1600 years ago and native to remote regions of China; often quit expensive; most tree peonies are proposed by recent (1992) Chinese research to be ancient hybrids of 4 native Chinese species and to be lumped into this species for simplicity.
Cultivars: (of lactiflora)
Of the over 1300 available, the following are some of the most popular, commonly available in the U.S. and recommended by growers and references.
Flower forms include:
•Single--fertile center, single layers of 5 or more petals
•Semi-double--fertile center, several layers of petals
•Double--usually sterile, central flower parts transformed into petaloids
•Japanese--5 or more petals surrounding center of colored staminoides (sterile stamens)
•Anemone--between Japanese and Double, center filled with colored staminoides
| Cultivar | intro | color, flower other | form | timing | |
| 'A.B. Franklin' | 1928 | white, rose tones | Double | late | |
| 'America' | 1976 | scarlet | Single | early-mid | |
| 'Barrington Belle' | 1971 | rose-red, rose pink center, red staminoides | Anemone | mid | |
| 'Bonanza' | 1947 | dark red | Double | mid | |
| 'Bowl of Cream' | 1963 | white | Double | late | |
| 'Charlie's White' | 1951 | white, fragrant, good cut | Double | mid | |
| 'Coral Charm' | 1964 | coral to peach | Semi-double | early | |
| 'Coral 'n Gold' | 1981 | coral, cup-shaped petals | Single | early | |
| 'Do Tell' | 1946 | orchid pink outer, rose pink staminoides | Japanese | late | |
| 'Duchesse de Nemours' | 1856 | white, light yellow center, cut standard | Double | mid | |
| 'Edulis Superba' | 1824 | rose pink, fragrant, good cut | Double | mid | |
| 'Elsa Sass' | 1930 | white outer, pale pink and yellow inner | Double | very late | |
| 'Emma Klehn' | 1951 | very dark pink | Double | very late | |
| 'Felix Crousse' | 1881 | carmine red, silver tint, good cut | Double | late | |
| 'Felix Supreme' | 1955 | red, improved 'Felix Crousse', good cut | Double | late | |
| 'Festiva Maxima' | 1851 | white, crimson flecks, fragrant, popular | Double | mid | |
| 'Gardenia' | 1955 | white to pink, gardenia shape | Double | late | |
| 'Gay Paree' | 1933 | cherry pink, white inner, pink petaloids | Japanese | late | |
| 'Honey Gold' | white, pale yellow center, cut, fragrant | Double | late | ||
| 'Jan van Leeuwen' | 1928 | white, medium size, strong stems | Japanese | very late | |
| 'Kansas' | 1940 | red, good in the south, good cut | Double | mid | |
| 'Karl Rosenfeld' | 1908 | crimson red | Double | mid | |
| 'Krinkled White' | 1928 | white, yellow center, green pistils, good cut | Single | late | |
| 'Lady Alexandra Duff' | 1902 | clusters of blush pink, small size | Double | late | |
| 'Lowell Thomas' | 1934 | dark red, stamens show, medium size, low | Double | late | |
| 'Miss America' | 1936 | white, good cut, standard for class | Semi-double | mid | |
| 'Mme. de Verneville' | 1885 | white, crimson in center, fragrant, good cut | Double | late | |
| 'Mons. Jules Elie' | 1888 | most popular pink, good cut, fragrant | Double | mid | |
| 'Moonstone' | 1943 | white, pale pink inner, good cut | Double | mid-late | |
| 'Mother's Choice' | 1950 | white, compact habit, wide leaves | Double | late | |
| 'Mrs. F.D. Roosevelt' | 1932 | light pink, cup-shaped blooms, fragrant | Double | late | |
| 'Mrs. L. Farrand' | 1935 | salmon-pink, glossy, needs staking | Double | very late | |
| 'Myrtle Gentry' | 1925 | salmon pink turning white,very fragrant | Double | very late | |
| 'Nice Gal' | 1965 | frosted rose pink, low | Semi-double | late | |
| 'Nick Shaylor' | 1931 | pink changing white, stake, excellent | Double | late | |
| 'Norma Volz' | 1962 | light pink, yellow tints | Double | late | |
| 'Paul M. Wild' | 1964 | velvety red, resists fading | Double | late | |
| 'Paula Fay' | 1968 | vivid pink, 5 rows of petals, good cut | Semi-double | early | |
| 'Philippe Rivoire' | 1911 | red | Double | mid-late | |
| 'Pillow Talk' | 1973 | light pink, rose form, glossy foliage | Double | late | |
| 'Princess Margaret' | 1960 | dark pink rose, fragrant, cup-shaped | Double | late | |
| 'Raspberry Sundae' | 1968 | pink, reddish tips, mild fragrance | Double | mid-late | |
| 'Red Charm' | 1944 | dark red, waxy, mounded blooms, excellent | Double | mid | |
| 'Reqiem' | 1941 | rose red, good cut, compact habit | Double | late | |
| 'Richard Carvel' | 1913 | red | Double | mid-late | |
| 'Sarah Bernhardt' | 1906 | dark rose pink, stake, good cut standard | Double | late | |
| 'Scarlet O'Hara' | 1956 | red, large, vigorous habit, long roots | Single | mid | |
| 'Shawnee Chief' | 1940 | dark red, medium size, good cut | Double | mid | |
| 'Top Brass' | 1968 | white, yellowish center, fragrant, good cut | Double | late | |
| 'Vivid Rose' | 1952 | dark pink, very fragrant, good cut, vigorous | Double | very late | |
| 'Westerner' | 1942 | light pink, bowl-shape, yellow staminoides | Japanese | late | |
| 'Walter Faxon' | 1904 | rose | Double | mid-late | |
Tree Peony Cultivars: (generally of suffruticosa)
Of the many available, the following are some of the most popular, commonly
available in the U.S. and recommended by growers and references.
| Cultivar | color | form | timing |
| 'Age of Gold' | yellow to gold | semi-double | early-mid |
| 'Banquet' | red, gold marks under | semi-double | early-mid |
| 'Black Panther' | mahogany red | semi-double | early-mid |
| 'Black Pirate' | dark red, darker flares | single or semi-double | early-mid |
| 'Chinese Dragon | crimson, darker flares | single or semi-double | early-mid |
| 'Companion of Serenity' | light pink, darker centers | single | early |
| 'Gauguin' (lutea hyb.) | yellow, red center, variable | single | early |
| 'Godaishu' | white | semi-double | early |
| 'Golden Vanitie' | yellow | single | early-mid |
| 'Guardian of the Monastery' | lavender-pink, red flares | single | early |
| 'Hanakisoi' | perhaps best bright pink | semi-double | mid |
| 'High Noon' | yellow, red flares, fragrant | semi-double | early-mid, fall |
| 'Kamata-fuji' | purple | double | early-mid |
| 'Kamata-nishiki' | dark purple, rose-like | semi-double | early |
| 'Leda' (lutea hyb.) | pink, darker streaks, fragrant | semi-double | early |
| 'Persephone' | yellow | semi-double | early-mid |
| 'Renkaku' | white | semi-double | early |
| 'Savage Splendor' | white, rose, lavender | single | early-mid |
| 'Shimadaigin' | purple | semi-double | early-mid |
| 'Shintenchi' | pink to white, dark flares | semi-double | early |
| 'Taiyo' | ruby red | semi-double | early |
| 'Themis' | light pink to red base | semi-double | mid |
| 'Tria' | yellow, crinkled, 3/stem | single | early |
| 'Yachiyo-tsubaki' | coral pink (excellent) | semi-double | early |
| 'Yae Zakura' | pink | semi-double | early |
| 'Zephyrus' | pink and peach, red flares | semi-double | early-mid |
©Authored by Dr. Leonard Perry, Professor, University of Vermont as part of PSS123 course.
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