PURPLE TREE PEONIES FULL

The planting in Seiwa-En dates from the 1970s, when renowned garden architect Koichi Kawana sought to introduce a contrasting element to the starkness of the dry landscape across the path. There is a nice grouping of herbaceous peonies in the Maritz Apple Allee of the Kemper Center for Home Gardening and a magnificent display in Seiwa-En, The Japanese Garden. Peonies can be enjoyed in several locations around the Garden but the Chinese and Japanese gardens are home to most of our tree peonies. The Missouri Botanical Garden displays numerous cultivars recognized and prized by peony lovers of all ages. Natives of Asia, peonies grow either as a deciduous shrub (a ‘tree peony’) or as a perennial herbaceous plant.

Each cultivar tends to have a short bloom period, but the garden has planted a variety of peony hybrids and species in order to extend the peony season. Reminiscent of bygone days, the peony stays current as new cultivars are introduced. They can also be damaged by borers, so check regularly for signs of borer holes in the wood.īefore winter, apply a protective layer of mulch over the plant’s root zone.A yearly favorite flower to view at the Garden on Mother's Day, our tree peonies peak around the last two weeks of April and our herbaceous peonies pop the first and second weeks of May. Tree peonies can be susceptible to fungal diseases, so it’s best to water them directly at the root zone. Tree peonies should also be fertilized regularly with a general purpose fertilizer that is higher in phosphorus than nitrogen and potassium, like 5-10-5. They have high iron and phosphate needs and may benefit from an annual feeding of iron sulphate and bone meal in spring. Tree peonies should only ever be pruned or cut back to shape or remove dead, damaged or diseased wood. However, unlike herbaceous peonies, tree peonies should never be cut back in autumn. 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.

PURPLE TREE PEONIES FULL

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. With so many varieties of peonies available these days, selecting the right peony for your garden can be confusing.

Purple tree peonies