Plant Library

Other Names:  Common Garden Peony

Description:

A late spring blooming selection that features large, round cup shaped blooms in light pink with yellow anthers; ideal for border and garden planting; excellent cut flower quality; prefers well drained and fertile soil

Ornamental Features

Chinese Peony features bold lightly-scented shell pink flowers with white overtones and yellow anthers at the ends of the stems from late spring to early summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its compound leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Chinese Peony is an herbaceous perennial with a more or less rounded form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Disease

Chinese Peony is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Chinese Peony will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 30 inches apart. The flower stalks can be weak and so it may require staking in exposed sites or excessively rich soils. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. To help this plant achive its best flowering performance, periodically apply a flower-boosting fertilizer from early spring through into the active growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.