Tree peony is a garden shrub with large spring flowers. Its woody stems remain through winter, unlike Chinese peony, whose stems die back to the ground.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A shrub with persistent woody stems; garden plants can reach about 6.5 ft (2 m).
- Flowers
- The large blooms may be single or double, with white, pink, red, or purple forms.
- Flowering time
- In Missouri, plants bloom in late April and early May.
Look-alikes
Chinese peonyPaeonia lactiflora
Check the stems after the leaves fall. Tree peony keeps woody branches, while Chinese peony dies back to the ground each winter.
Why they get mixed upBoth have large, showy flowers.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- gardens
- shrub borders
- Range
- This cultivated peony originated in China and is grown in the United States, including Missouri.
- Preferred conditions
- It grows best in sun or light shade and fertile, well-drained soil.
- Flowering
Flowers Apr–May
Flowers Apr–May
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- Some garden plants called tree peonies are other woody peony hybrids, so a plant label helps identify which one you have.