They have become a popular cut and bouquet flower because of their papery-appearance and bright color selections.
They look delicate and regal at the same time sprucing up gardens from spring to summer.
What jot down of peonies are there?
For one, herbaceous peonies will thrive in colder climates while tree peonies cannot withstand too much cold.
Tree peonies go dormant during cold seasons while herbaceous peonies wont.
Intersectional or Itoh peonies, on the other hand, are more hardy and drought-tolerant.
Itoh peonies will die back during winter though.
How many different colors of peonies are there?
Peonies surprisingly have a wide range of color selection.
Its name for one is derived from the wordPaonianamed after Paeon, the Greek god of medicine.
These flowers also symbolically represent depending on color.
Pink peonies for one are considered as 12th wedding anniversary flowers while white peonies are associated withchildbirth and femininity.
During the Victorian era, peonies symbolized a love that is won and also purity and chastity.
It is in the Victorians who initiated the use of peonies at weddings.
In general symbolism, peoniesrepresent the honor, romance, beauty, purity, and alsoabundance.
Tree Peonies
What are tree peonies?
Tree peonies could grow to up to 7ft tall and are woody shrubs native to China.
They produce large flowers (7-10cm across).
As soon as the roots establish, tree peonies would not tolerate frequent moving.
How many varieties of Tree Peonies are there?
There are at least20 tree peony varietiesout there.
Below are the various tree peony varieties.
Tree Peony Age of Gold
It is considered as one of the original varieties of American peonies.
It also has deep purple edges and white/yellow anthers.
When the hit lights, the petals will have a glassy look.
It also features fine, yellow stamens at the center and one of the most favorite spring peonies.
Tree Peony Captains Concubine
At first glance, it looks like tattered butterfly wings.
It is a cousin to Companion of Serenity since they have the same breeder.
It sports large, creamy white flowers with deep pink towards the center.
It also features large, curved guard petals and long, sunny yellow anthers.
Tree Peony Companion of Serenity
It refers to a group of tree peonies bred by William Gratwick III.
It also has flashy yellow-purple anthers.
It has large, vigorous, pink-red, double bloom flowers complete with red stem and red stalks.
It sports single bloom, pure white petals with golden yellow stamens in the center.
It is said to glow as dusk approaches.
Tree Peony Hanakisoi (Floral Rivaly, Paeonia suffruticosa Hanakisoi)
It is also called the Floral Rivalry.
It is known for its large petals with crepe paper texture and appearance.
It has a blush color with darker pink hues to its center.
Tree Peony Impumon
It is a showy peony with its very bright double flowers.
It has large, crimson red flowers that bloom during mid-spring.
It is also called the True Red and is a fresh sight in perennial gardens.
Tree Peony Sakura Rashidi
As the name suggests, this one looks like large cherry blossoms.
It features a unique globular flower with wavy, crinkled edges.
It has white-colored tips darkening into hues of pink as it reaches the center.
Tree Peony Souvenir de Maxime Cornu
It is a showy large flower with peach color and reddish tips.
It has frilled edges and a pale yellow center.
They also look like roses and are good company flowers for darker colored ones.
Tree Peony Gauguin
It has one of the most striking color palettes of all tree peonies.
It has large, veined petals in bright pink with yellow overlays.
It looks like a semi-double, crumpled flower.
It was named after the French painter Paul Gaugin by breeder Nassos Daphnis.
Tree Peony Pluto
It is another tree peony bred by Daphnis.
It becomes luminous when it is hit by light.
It is typically grown in sheltered locations as it could be delicate.
Tree Peony Shimane Sedai
It definitely looks like a rose but with a globular appearance.
Its crepe paper-like petals have a baby pink color with ruffled edges.
As it grows more mature, the ruffles will be more prominent and will turn into full-double bloom.
Tree Peony Shima Nishiki
It is an attractive bicolor peony of white and deep pink colors.
It is a popular flower cut, semi-double petals, and golden yellow anthers.
Its petals are semi-double and incurved.
Tree Peony Thunderbolt
It is often confused with the Black Pirate because it has the same color of flowers.
Herbaceous Peonies
What are Herbaceous Peonies?
They are very hardy flowers providing spring and summer lush to the garden.
They are also often referred to as Chinese peony or common peony.
They are annuals, with showy flowers coming in a variety of colors.
They are deer-resistant and are generally hardy.
It blooms all throughout spring.
It blooms profusely during late spring.
Its lacy foliage remains attractive and intact through winter.
Peony Sword Dance
It gets its name from its curly anthers, seemingly dancing in various directions.
It has large, magenta flowers and red-purple-yellow anthers.
Peony Elsa Sass
It is delicate and straight out looks like crepe paper.
It sports a large, double-flowered, silky, pure white petals.
It also has small, yellow stamens but they tend to be hidden because of its ruffled look.
Itoh Peonies
What are Itoh Peonies?
Itoh or intersectional peonies are hybrid peonies.
They are called as such because almost all Itoh peonies have a Japanese peony parent.
They get the sturdiness of herbaceous peonies and the enormous and vibrant colors of tree peonies.
They die out during winter and have attractive foliage from summer to fall.
How many varieties of Itoh peonies are there?
There are at least46 recognized varieties of Itoh peoniesout there.
They have a huge color selection and they feature bicolored peonies.
Peony Bartzella
It has a luscious, glowing, lemon yellow color.
It is a fast-growing and profusely blooming peony.
It has a crepe paper-like appearance and upright semi-double flowers.
It is a consistent horticultural award.
Peony Cora Louise
This one sports large, pure white, semi-double flowers with dark red hearts.
At its center would be golden yellow anthers and a slightly dark pink base.
It is known for its long bloom time from late spring to mid-fall.
Peony First Arrival
As the name implies, it is the earliest Itoh bloomer.
It is known to be extremely drought tolerant with sturdy stems and long blooming time.
It features medium-sized, delicate, and paper-like white, lavender, and purple flowers.
Peony Garden Treasure
It is one of the most prized and multi-awarded Itoh.
It has a large, semi-double, golden-yellow bloom of at least 50 petals and a contrasting red-brown heart.
It has sturdy stems and is a known profuse bloomer starting from late spring to early summer.
It has a strong lemon scent.
Peony Julia Rose
It is a flashy Itoh with single to semi-double flowers.
It has an attractive large bloom that changes colors during bloom time through the years.
The colors start with orange, apricot, or red with creamy yellow edges.
It will later on turn to yellow, providing an attractive floral display.
It is also notable for its spicy scent.
It sports a semi-double, upright, large, yellow flowers with a red base.
It has curved petals and whimsical, long yellowish-white stamens of green and orange base.
It is a profuse bloomer and its deep green foliage will remain intact and in color even during winter.
They are mostly Itoh peonies and some rare cultivars belong to herbaceous peonies.
Bloom Types for Peonies
Single peonies
Imperial peonies are popular single peonies.
They have rows of petals made of at least five guard petals surrounding the pollen.
Semi-double peonies
They often bloom into full-doubles but in themselves, they already flash artistic blooms.
They have large petals and prominent stamens.
They have more than one row of petals and visible anthers while in bloom.
Japanese peonies
These peonies have a doubling tendency above the single rows of petals.
They have yellow anthers carrying pollen.
Anemone peonies
They look like Japanese peonies minus the anthers.
They have stamens that look like incurved petals.
Some appear as side-blooms.
Full-double peonies
Aside from having multiple rows of petals, another row of petals cover its crown.
They have no visible stamens and anthers.
They have prominent guard petals though, and this gives them that globular look.
The bomb peony
They have a more pronounced globular look with shorter guard petals.
An example of the bomb peony is the Raspberry Sundae.
Peonies care
Peonies are easy to care for flowers requiring minimum to low care pointers.
Nonetheless, here are some peony care pointers that you should know about.
Digging and dividing
Unlike most perennials, peonies can thrive with neglect.
A 5-10cm mulch is perfect for peonies.
Staking
This one is only for herbaceous and Itoh peonies.
Some cultivars of these peonies have an arching tendency requiring staking.
Cutting
This one is an end of season care requirement.
This is done during the fall to prevent overwintering.
This also prohibits the niching of pests and the emergence of common peony diseases.
What is the difference between peonies and tree peonies?
By peonies, we refer to herbaceous and Itoh peonies.
Which peony blooms the longest?
Herbaceous peonies bloom the longest.
On average, they bloom for 3-4 weeks.
Other cultivars bloom all spring until mid-summer.
While enormous, the flowers of tree peonies only bloom for 10 days at most.
What are the most fragrant peonies?
One interesting thing about peonies is that their level of fragrance depends on their color.
Used in the perfume industry, it is important to know which peonies are fragrant.
Double (semi and full) are also very fragrant peonies.
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