Peony

The Spectacular Display

A peony bush is like watching fireworks; the show is beautiful, but short.

The Fireworks

The Bloom

The bloom is truly delightful! Blooming in early summer, it is a show not to be missed!  All the peony blooms open practically simultaneously, creating a breathtaking display.

There is a downside: the blooms last about a week to 10 days only. 

Sunshine is always appreciated by the peony. The plant will produce larger blooms in full sun and smaller blooms if planted in the shade. In very shady areas the peony will act, at the very least, as a bush.

There are many peony colour options as well as petal varieties.  The most common peonies are in the pinkish hues varying from light pink to dark fuchsia, whites seem to be less common, and yellows are available yet seem to be the exception in my neighborhood. There are varieties with fewer petals and these peonies seem daintier with exposed centers. I personally love the multi-layered peonies which look dense, thick and heavy.

The Greenery

Below are photos of the peony in early spring. New shoots emerge from the ground resembling pink asparagus, but leaves soon change the look to a wonderful green (such a delight after winter white). Springtime is a great time to stake the peony with a circular support. If left too late, it might be difficult to add the cone.

A Seasonal Checklist

In the autumn, all the branches of the peony are cut to ground level.  Surviving the winter nicely, the plant springs up new shoots in May and develops long stems and buds by June.  There are earlier and later varieties, so the exact timing is dependent on the type as well as your location.  Once the blossoms finish blooming, they dry out and are simply cut off the supporting stem.  The rest of the stems and leaves remain beautiful all summer long displaying itself as a nice bush until fall when everything is ready to be cut down again.

Top Heavy

As mentioned, the peony has impressive large blossoms, and frequently outweigh the thin stems.  Heavy rains will definitely bring a peony to the ground if left unsupported. Usually the plant needs extra support to stay upright. If it is inadequately supported, the stems tend to droop down toward the ground. In this case, it’s a shame when the stems droop and the blooms are all on the ground.

After the Fireworks

The peony is a relatively large bush and can act as a taller backdrop to shorter flowers. As seen below, the peony is a backdrop to shorter plants.