About Herbaceous Peonies
Peonies are beautiful, long-lived and easy to grow once established. There are three distinctive types of peonies, herbaceous, intersectional and the tree peony.
The difference between tree peonies and herbaceous peonies lies in the way it produces its foliage. Herbaceous peonies produce leaves, which form handsome rounded mounds that die back in the autumn, while tree peonies have woody stems that remain during the winter. Intersectional peonies are the result of crossing herbaceous and tree peony. The leaves are carried on stems that turn woody by autumn, but these are usually removed in spring when the new shoots start to emerge.
Types Of Herbaceous Peonies
In late May or early June herbaceous peonies produce long stems topped with fat buds that open into large, opulent flowers. These flowers come only in a limited range of colours. These are white, pink and red. Although there are a few yellow varieties, these are limited in number and usually quite expensive. However because there are so many shapes there is a wide choice of designs to select from.
Peony 'Minnie Shaylor', P. 'Midnight Sun', P. 'Picotee', P. 'My Pal Rudy'
Double Peonies
This type of peony has lots of petals, which when fully open will form a dome that can be low, like a crown, shaped like a ball or a pompon. Because of their size they sometimes need staking. Buy double peonies.
Double peonies: 'Bouquest Perfect', P. 'Red Charm', P. 'Top Brass', P. 'Sarah Bernhardt'
Semi-double Peonies
This type of flower has two or three layers of petals that open out to reveal the handsome ring of stamens in the centre. Because the flowers are not so heavy they usually do not require staking. Buy semi-double peonies.
Semi-double peonies: 'Salmon Dream', P. 'Buckeye Belle', P. 'Cytherea', P. 'Miss America'
Japanese Peonies
These peonies always have large outer petals, known as guard petals that form a frame work for a cluster of long, ribbon-like petals, referred to as stamenoids. Japanese peonies hardly ever need staking. Buy Japanese peonies.
Japanese peonies: 'Bowl Of Beauty', P. 'Nippon Beauty', P. 'Tom Echkhardt', P. 'Moon Of Nippon'
Single Peonies
This type of peony has just one, or sometimes two rows of petals. The stamens in the centre are always revealed. When the flowers first open the blooms usually close up at night, which means they last longer. This type of peony requires no staking. Buy single peonies.
Single peonies 'Blaze', P. 'Roselette', P. 'Starlight', P. 'Athena'
Peonies in the Garden
Herbaceous peonies will grow in most soils, except ones that stay wet. They grow best in a rich, heavy soil (including clay), but will thrive just as well in a sandy soil once established. Although they prefer full sun, in warmer parts they are happy in partial shade.
Peonies can be grown in a border of their own, but most gardeners would prefer to include them among other plants. They look fabulous with perennials, and the leaves of many varieties turn the handsome colours of autumn as they begin to die back in late August and September. In the spring the new shoots, which remind me of asparagus, are most attractive, a feature that can be enhanced by planting spring bulbs such as crocuses around them. Later, once the flowers have gone, very often there are seed pods which can be extremely attractive. Most of the pods are empty of seeds.
The blooms of peony 'Early Windflower' don't last long, but the leaves remain beautiful for a long time. The seed pods of Peony 'Garden Peace' are particularly handsome. Peony 'Shirley Temple' thrives in a semi-shady spot with Aruncus dioicus. Peony 'Suruga' blends easily into a border of other perennials.
