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Peonies
Peonies are among the most popular types of flowers. They are favourites as garden plants in particular, but also as cut flowers in a vase. Below you can find out what makes peonies special, what to look out for when planting them in the garden and how to care for them. Hildegard von Bingen already knew that peonies are also medicinal plants.
The origin and significance of peonies
The peony is one of the oldest cultivated plants. It originates from the Central Asian region. It can be found wild as a shrub in Tibet, Bhutan, China and Japan. The Chinese in particular cultivated it a good 1000 years ago. The misty, moderately warm mid-mountainous regions of China favoured its growth. The original peony was red-flowered. Through the breeding efforts of Chinese gardeners, other flower colours such as white, pink, yellow and even dark purple flowering varieties were developed.
In Europe, the importance of the peony has been recognised since the Middle Ages. The "great" painters were already fond of portraying them in their flowery still lifes. Monks brought them with them because they were still considered a medicinal plant at that time. Hildegard von Bingen also praised the curative, albeit slightly poisonous, effect of the peony on epilepsy, gout and mental illnesses. The alkaloid paeonin, from which the botanical name paeonia is derived, was also used to treat pain, for example in teething children. However, this poison has extreme side effects, so it is no longer used in this way in modern medicine. The peony soon spread beyond the monastery gardens and conquered the country gardens thanks to its magnificent and fragrant flowers. Today it belongs in all botanical collections, parks and private gardens due to its colourful variety and the charm of its mostly double and fragrant flowers, which bloom from late spring to early summer.
Peony species
The range of peony species is extensive. There are 32 different species, native to Europe and Asia, which are divided into herbaceous and shrub peonies.
Perennial peonies are divided into the wild species, which have undergone little cultivation, the magnificently flowering cultivated peonies and the various cultivars, i.e. the crosses with the mostly white-flowering wild species from their native habitat. While the herbaceous peonies grow rather compactly, the shrub peonies reach stately heights and are therefore also called tree peonies in some places.
Peonies are by no means rose plants, as the German name mistakenly suggests. On the one hand, this refers to the rose-like and, above all, equally fragrant flowers of this plant and, on the other, to its flowering period around Whitsun. In fact, peonies belong to the peony family (Paeoniaceae). The botanical name Paeonia is derived from Paian, the physician of the gods, which in turn refers to the healing properties originally attributed to it. The latter used a peony to heal the wounds of the god Pluton, which he is said to have sustained in a battle with Heracles over the city of Pylos.
- Milky white peony Paeonia lactiflora
Also known as early peony, Chinese peony or Asian peony, its flower colour and flowering period is from May to June. -
Chinese peony Paeonia lactiflora cultivar
Unlike the farmer's peony, the Chinese peony also forms side buds. Its flowering period is therefore significantly longer with single to densely double flowers of approx. 7 to 15 centimetres and in bright white, pink and red tones. - Common peony Paeonia officinalis
The common peony is characterised by its robustness. It is considered a bee pasture as it is the species with the highest pollen production, which attracts bees. -
Californian peony Paeonia californica
Up to approx. 70 cm, with deeply lobed green foliage and deep purple-coloured nodding flowers. - European peony Paenia officinalis 'Molli'
This perennial peony impresses with its large but single-flowered flowers, which have a large number of intense yellow stamens in the centre. - Balkan peony or dill peony Paeonia tenuifolia
It reaches a height of up to 40 cm, has an intense red flower with a diameter of 5 to 7 cm and a delicate fragrance. It flowers very early. Greek peony Paeonia peregrina It flowers very early with a growth of 70 to 100 cm and larger red flowers up to 11 cm in diameter. - Coral peony Paeonia mascula subsp. arietina
With a height of 60 cm and white-pink to carmine-red flowers of 10 to 12 cm, this is one of the early-flowering peonies.
- Shrub peony Paeonia rockii
This wild species grows to over two metres in height, flowers in May and has white to yellow double or single flowers with a light fragrance. - Japanese peony Paeonia x suffruticosa
This hybrid species has medium-sized, dark pink or yellowish and mostly single flowers with a diameter of approx. 16 cm and remains rather small in its growth of approx. 1.3 to 1.6 metres. - Golden peony Paeonia lutea
This yellow-flowering shrub peony grows to approx. 1 m high and 1 m wide and turns yellow in autumn.
Appearance and flowering time of the peony
The perennial peony
The perennial peony grows like a bush. It grows to a height of 60 to 80 cm.
The flowers sit on sturdy stems. Depending on the climate and weather, they bloom from around the end of April to the middle/end of July and have a diameter of around 10 to 20 cm. Their colour spectrum includes white, cream, light pink, red and dark burgundy. There are single-flowering varieties that reveal the numerous yellow stamens on the inside, as well as heavily double-flowering varieties. In between are varieties in which some of the stamens have turned into short petals and thus also provide petal fullness. Many varieties have an intense, pleasant fragrance, which is also utilised in the perfume industry.
The leaves of perennial peonies are slightly rough, dark green, pinnate and alternate on the stems.
It has bulbous, thickened roots. These thickened roots serve to store nutrients over the winter and help the plant to survive barren periods. The buds emerge from them, which overwinter and sprout again the following spring with a distinctly reddish colour. Care must therefore be taken when planting to protect them on the one hand and not to plant them too deeply on the other, as they would then not sprout properly and fail to flower the following year.
The shrub peony
The shrub peony has an upright growth habit and forms strongly branched shrubs. In a favourable peony location, it can grow well over two metres high, which is why it is also known as the tree peony. The largest of these is the group of Rockii cultivars, which can grow into imposing shrubs that are twice as wide as they are tall. In general, shrub peonies grow quite slowly. Their thick buds sprout in early spring, making them an early spring bloomer.
At up to 25 cm in diameter, the flowers of shrub peonies are significantly larger than those of perennial peonies. However, they are usually less double and appear at the end of May.
After flowering, both shrub and perennial peonies form so-called bell-shaped fruits. These have a very felty surface. They contain the seeds, which can grow to over one centimetre in size.
The leaves of shrub peonies are usually double-pinnate, have a light green to bluish colour and sit alternately on the stems.
More recent crosses of shrub and perennial peonies, namely P. lactiflora with P. lutea and P. x itoh, have produced the so-called intersectional cultivars, with the advantages of strong, herbaceous shoots, larger flowers and more vigorous growth than the pure perennial peonies.
Peonies bloom from May, perennial peonies a little earlier than the shrub peonies.
Peony locations and the right soil
Sheltered from the wind, bright without direct sunlight and moist, deep soil - these are the three most important location factors for the peony. And it is a frugal plant that requires little change. If you plant peonies in the garden, you should not till the soil too much or plant other plants around them. They do not like frequent replanting, nor do they like the root pressure of other plants. The soil should be deep, mineral-rich and not too rich in humus. Loamy, slightly moist but well-drained substrates are ideal. The peony is a deep-rooter, which is why it does not like compacted or shallow soil layers, such as on underground car park roofs. Is your peony not flowering? Then it is usually because one of these location factors has not been observed.
Shrub peonies should be planted in a location that is not too warm and sheltered. Otherwise they will sprout too early in spring and are therefore at risk from late frosts in spring. This also applies to peonies in pots or as container plants.
Planting peonies
The best time to plant peonies is autumn. If you are planting perennial peonies, you should take a close look at the rootstock, as buds that are already just above the root should not be buried too deep into the soil, a maximum of 5 cm. Otherwise they will not flower. Shrub peonies are less sensitive in this respect and can be planted a little deeper, up to 10 cm. In this respect, there is a rule of thumb: plant perennial peonies shallowly and shrub peonies deeply.
Autumn is the right time of year to plant peonies and September is the best month to plant them. This allows the plants to grow well before the frost sets in. The planting hole should not be filled with too much humus; if necessary, the humus content of the soil must be reduced with a sand/clay mixture. Perennial peonies should be planted a little shallower, shrub peonies a little deeper. It is important that grafting points, especially on shrub peonies, which are usually grafted onto perennial peonies, are about three fingers wide below the soil surface. Only then can the scion of the grafted variety form roots and grow into an independent plant.
Peonies require loose, not too compacted, rather loamy, mineral substrates that are not too rich in humus. If necessary, the soil needs to be leaned down with a mixture of sand and clay. Peonies in pots require humus-reduced potting soil.
Peonies are mainly propagated by scion grafting. If you have shrub or perennial peonies in your garden, you can also propagate them by dividing the root zone. Propagation via their seeds usually results in the varieties rebounding, i.e. the wild characters reappear.
Care tips for peonies
Peonies are generally quite undemanding. They like to stay in the same spot for a long time. Transplanting is not necessary and pruning is only required in rare cases. However, if plants need to be moved, they should be divided at the same time, as otherwise they will not grow well in their new location. However, peonies are most beautiful when they are left alone for years.
Many garden owners complain that the heavy, double flower heads quickly lean towards the ground due to their own weight. Supports that give the flower shoots support, especially when it rains, help here so that their splendour is shown to its full advantage.
After flowering in autumn, peonies draw their nutrients back into their storage roots, leaving the leaf shoots limp and turning brown to black. These stems can then be cut off in winter.
Peonies are generally hardy. Perennial peonies survive through their tuberous, thickened storage roots in the soil. Only in areas with very cold, frosty winters should pruned plants be protected against frost and cold with a thick layer of leaves, jute or other winter coverings. Shrub peonies are at risk of breaking under heavy snow loads. If the shoots are tied together with a rope in good time, this risk is minimised.
If the peony does not flower, this is usually due to the wrong location. It should not be in full sunlight, but it should be bright and the soil should not be too rich in humus, but rather poor. Even moisture penetration should also be ensured. Planting too deeply also prevents flowering, as only leaves will develop in the first year.
In principle, it is not necessary to prune peonies. This is because they form beautiful, rounded crowns even without pruning. However, individual shoots can be cut back to the old wood if the perennials become too dense and the individual shoots remain too thin. If the plant as a whole becomes too large and sprawling, it can easily be divided. This should be done in autumn. Carefully cut through the root area with a sharp spade, minimising damage to the roots. If you want to propagate peonies, you can also do this by dividing the root area of the plant.
Peony plants are fertilised in April/May shortly before the actual budding with a fertiliser containing potassium phosphate. This promotes the plant's resistance and vitality. A second fertilisation with potassium and phosphate early after flowering also promotes budding for the following year.
Peonies are ideal flowers for the vase. They decorate with their abundance of blooms and often fill rooms with their fragrance. However, many varieties lose their petals quickly, so their shelf life of three days is sometimes very limited. The stems should be cut diagonally with a clean, sharp knife and then placed in clean, lukewarm vase water. Otherwise, the tips already known for caring for flowers apply.
Inspiration - Our decoration ideas with peonies
DIY flower ring with test tube and peony
