9/19/2023 0 Comments Purple tree peonies![]() ![]() Tree peony care in gardens is not any more complicated than herbaceous peony care. A properly placed, content in its environment plant can live up to a hundred years. Once established, tree peonies are drought tolerant and do not transplant well. They can be slow at first to get established, sometimes taking up to three years to grow much or bloom. New tree peony plants should be planted in spring or fall, not during the heat of summer. They do best with perennial companion plants. Tree peonies also prefer a site where they do not have to compete with roots from other shrubs or trees. They prefer slightly alkaline soil and proper drainage is essential. Too much intense sunlight can cause the beautiful flowers to fade and wither quicker. Usually labeled as full sun plants, tree peonies prefer some dappled to light shade from the hot afternoon sun. They do best where they have a cold winter for dormancy and hot summers. While some varieties of tree peonies are hardy down to zone 3, most tree peonies are hardy in zones 4-8. Unlike herbaceous peonies, the flower buds of tree peonies do not produce the sweet honeydew sap that attracts ants. These flowers, which bloom in late spring to early summer, make excellent cut flowers and come in single or double forms. They are highly prized for their large, prolific blooms that can grow up to 10 inches (25+ cm.) in diameter. Tree peonies are larger, woody relatives of the common herbaceous peony, growing up to 5 feet (1.5 m.) wide and tall in about ten years. Native to China, tree peonies were valued as a medicinal plant long before they were adored ornamentals. Itoh peonies are a hybrid cross between herbaceous peonies and tree peonies, they do die back to the ground in fall like herbaceous peonies but their flower and growth characteristics are similar to tree peonies. They lose their foliage in the fall but their woody stems do not die back to the ground like herbaceous peonies. Tree peonies are woody, deciduous shrub peonies. The roots remain dormant under the soil, then the plant stems push up in the spring. ![]() Herbaceous peonies are perennial peonies that die back to the ground each year. This article is specifically about growing tree peonies. Add terms like tree peony, itoh peony and herbaceous peony, and it can seem overwhelming. But the deep color of these huge blooms was extremely compelling.With so many varieties of peonies available these days, selecting the right peony for your garden can be confusing. It suffers from the typical Japanese tree peony problem of dumpiness and awkward habit - enormous flowers which do not seem to belong to the squashed little bush beneath them. 'Royal Robe' is a Japanese style tree peony raised by Toichi Domoto and Roy Klehm. (Note to self: boxwood makes a good tree peony companion!) Habit, lots of good foliage, and excellent flower carriage. Unlike many Japanese tree peonies I've seen, 'Shimane Chojuraku' had a great plant Mauve makes me queasy, but I do like the dramatic, almost black flares at the base of this one. The name, sometimes spelled 'Shimene Cho Juraka', means "Long Life" in Japanese. This plant has huge flowers with those fabulous rockii flares, but lavender-mauve is just not my favorite color.Īnother lavender-mauve one is 'Shimane Chojuraku' (somebody at Olbrich must like this color!). 'Guardian of the Monastery' was hybridized by William Gratwick, and seems to involve Japanese tree peony and paeonia rockii parentage. At Olbrich they have it planted near the cool blue of Amsonia tabernaemontana, which I think works well. It's a lovely color but not one that will go with just anything. The flower has dark purple flares at the base of the petals, giving it a tremendous sense of depth.Īmsonia tabernaemontana, allium, and tree peony 'Leda' Here is a close-up of the exquisite flower form: I especially like the lime green foliage edged in burgandy, which complements the flowers perfectly. It forms a large healthy bush and blooms profusely. The color is unusual, but not harsh - an indefinable purplish coral pink. I am not normally too fond of this group - the odd colors seem to grate unpleasantly on my brain. It is an American hybrid: a cross between Japanese tree peonies and the yellow species paeonia lutea. My favorite was 'Leda', created by Nassos Daphnis. ![]() Naturally, some were blooming and some were not, and it was a bright sunny day - terrible for taking pictures. I made a trip out to Olbrich Botanical Gardens today, to check out their collection of Japanese and American hybrid tree peonies. ![]()
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