The tree peony originates from China, where it is called Moutan, and has been cultivated, principally for medicine, for more than 2,000 years.
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As a rough guide to help define where the plants come from, Chinese cultivars have long names such as ‘Qing Long Wo Mo Chi’, while Japanese cultivars tend to be a single word such as ‘Kaow’. If the name is in English, it is usually a Lutea hybrid.
Jump to:
- What are tree peonies
- How to care for tree peonies
- When do tree peonies flower
- How big do tree peonies grow
- What soil do tree peonies like
- Pruning tree peonies
- The best tree peonies to grow
- Where to buy tree peonies
What are tree peonies
Tree peonies, also known as woody peonies, are the shrubby form of the glamorous genus Paeonia.
Tree peonies: the facts
- What The shrubby form of the genus Paeonia, also known as woody peonies.
- Season Flowers in spring.
- Size Most reach around
- 1.2m tall.
- Conditions Well-drained soil. They do well in clay as long as it does not stay wet all year. Although they prefer sun, they can cope with shade for a short period of the day.
- Origins Mountains of central and western China.
- Hardiness Hardy throughout most of the UK with an RHS hardiness rating of H5-H6 and suitable for gardens in USDA zones 4a to 8b.
*Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. †Hardiness ratings given where available.
When do tree peonies flower
During May, the woody stems produce one or two flower buds that swell to an enormous size, then open into the most extraordinarily beautiful, large flower. These can be single, semi-double or double and range in colour from pure white to soft yellow, apricot, pink and scarlet to very dark red. Long-lived, fuss-free and easy to grow, tree peonies make a perfect centrepiece to a garden.
Suffruticosa peonies from Japan are usually upright and ideal for smaller gardens or very big containers
After the flowers have faded, the leaves, which are deeply divided, remain handsome until they drop in autumn, and the gnarled stems add much-needed structure to the winter garden.
Alchemilla, Epimedium and Geum can be planted beneath the bushy growth. Bearded irises, hardy geraniums and astrantias make good companions as they bloom at the same time.
How to care for tree peonies
Tree peonies aren’t always easy to find. Bareroot plants, available from November to mid-February, are the best option and give the widest choice.
How big do tree peonies grow
Tree peonies grow to a useful 1.2m in height, although there are a few shorter and taller varieties. The flowers open on a three-dimensional shrub that can be grown in the centre of a large border or the back of a narrower one.
The flowers open on a three-dimensional shrub that can be grown in the centre of a large border or the back of a narrower one. Suffruticosa peonies from Japan are usually upright and ideal for smaller gardens.
How to plant tree peonies
Paeonia delavayi and P. ludlowii can be grown from seed, but the seedlings can take years to bloom. It is possible to divide some cultivars, but the majority are propagated by grafting. This is not easy and can be rather hit and miss, which is why tree peonies are expensive and sought after.
Tree peonies are planted in a totally different way to herbaceous peonies, especially if the plant has been grafted. On a grafted plant, the lower section of root will be thicker than the upper. The point where the two sections meet is the graft; plant so that this is at least 12cm below the soil surface.
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When planting a bareroot specimen, check to see if the root is noticeably thicker below the woody stems. If it is, then the plant is grafted and the graft should be placed at least 12cm below the surface of the soil. Japanese cultivars and many Lutea hybrids are grafted. Chinese and some Lutea hybrids are often on their own roots.
Most tree peonies are fine in any position that is not too shady, but Suffruticosa cultivars should
be planted where late frosts quickly disappear, such as in an east-facing spot.
What soil do tree peonies like
Tree peonies are extremely hardy and cope with temperatures below -15°C and more. They are unfussy about soil type as long as it is not water-logged or very poor. If the soil is lacking in nutrients, some very well- rotted manure can be dug in some months before planting.
Hybrid tree peonies have many botanical names but are divided into two main groups: Suffruticosa, which bloom from early to mid-May, and refers to hybrids raised in China, including the Japanese hybrids and cultivars that contain the beautiful white species Paeonia rockii.
The second group, the Lutea hybrids, bloom from mid to late May, and are mainly of Paeonia delavayi heritage.
Both Suffruticosa and Lutea hybrids thrive in well-drained soil, and are surprisingly good in clay as long as it does not stay wet all year. They prefer sun, but can cope with shade for a short period of the day.
Tree peonies do not need fertilising. The roots are large and go deep into the soil, where they will search out nutrients.
How to care for tree peonies
Although generally disease-free, if the spring and early summer months are damp and warm, tree peonies can suffer from peony wilt or bud blast (Botrytis paeoniae). This is a common disease that turns the flower buds and leaves brown. It is an airborne fungus, so all that can be done is to remove the affected parts. Luckily, I’ve never known it to kill a plant.
Pruning tree peonies
Tree peonies retain some or all of their leaves over winter, and can provide precious winter shelter for birds and small creatures. If you want to tidy up the plant in autumn, you can simply snap the leaves off. However, the old foliage is much easier to pull off in spring when the new leaves start to grow.
The tips of the stems can be pruned to remove old and dead wood before the new leaves emerge
in spring. You can also prune plants that are misshapen or too big in spring. Use secateurs to prune to just above a red leaf bud and be sure to leave at least three leaf buds per stem. If the plant is very old, it is a good idea to renovate it over several seasons so that you don’t cause it too much stress. Removing one or two stems entirely will not harm the plant.
The best tree peonies to grow
Where to buy tree peonies
- Binny Plants, Binny Estate near Broxburn, West Lothian, EH52 6NL, Tel 01506 858931, binnyplants.com
- Claire Austin Hardy Plants, White Hopton Farm, Sarn, Newtown, Y164EN, Tel01686670342,claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk
- Kelways Plants Picts Hill, Langport, Somerset TA10 9EZ.
- Tel 01458 250521, kelways.co.uk
- Pivoines Rivière 334 Chemin des Pivoines, La Plaine, 26400 Crest, Drôme,France.Tel+33(0)475254485, pivoinesriviere.com