Peony Passion: Forms, Colors, and Care for a Lifetime of Blooms

Peonies deliver unmatched spring spectacle—fragrant, colorful, and virtually carefree once established. Choose the right form, plant correctly, and enjoy decades of flowers.

Flower Forms

• Single: 5+ petals around yellow stamens.
• Japanese/Anemone: Petals + showy sterile petaloids.
• Bomb: Mounded center of small petals matching outer guards.
• Double: Rose-like globe; stamens hidden.
• Semi-double: Fewer inner petals; visible stamens; pollen-bearing.

Garden Peonies (P. lactiflora)

• Bushy, 3 ft tall/wide; bloom 5–10 days late spring.
• 3–6" flowers: white, pink, red, lavender, yellow, salmon, chartreuse.
• Foliage stays attractive; some redden in fall.
• Late-blooming varieties extend season.

Planting and Care

• Zones 3–8; tuberous roots spread 1–2 ft.
• South: early single/Japanese types best.
• Plant eyes 1–2" deep in moist, fertile, well-drained soil.
• Potted: 1–2 yrs to bloom. Bare-root (Sept–Oct): up to 3 yrs.
• Mulch loosely first winter; remove spring.
• Fertilize post-bloom with bone meal + wood ash.
• Full sun; minimize root competition.

Patience pays: peonies outlive the gardener.