Herbaceous Peonies are the most well known type of peony. They are disease resistant perennial plants that enhance the structure and beauty of any garden and produce some of the best cut flowers available. They bloom during the transition from spring into summer, with each individual cultivar blooming for an average of 7-10 days. The foliage of shining green leaves remains throughout the summer, dies back to the ground in winter and reemerges early each spring. Herbaceous peonies require very little care and live for generations. They have been cultivated for centuries and can thus be found in an astounding array of flower form, color and fragrance.
Herbaceous peonies can be planted in both spring and fall. They need at least 5 hours of full sun with rich well-draining soil. Like most long-lived perennials it can take three years for them to bloom prolifically – they are well worth the wait. They grow in zones 3-8. Typically the bloom occurs in mid-May in the southern zones, late-May in the mid zones and early-June in the colder zones. Basically all peonies will come at the same time but there are slight variations in the timing dependent on the early, mid, late designation of the cultivar itself
Bush transplanted into pot: June 2013
First flower: April 20, 2015
