Flowers are displayed above the handsome foliage that remains greener longer than their herbaceous parents. Strong healthy plants form attractive dense, neat rounded bushes which are shorter in stature than most tree peonies. Ornamentally, they achieve the best of both parental worlds with the handsome flowers and foliage of the woody tree peonies displayed on an herbaceous plant, with annual new growth originating from buds below ground level. During their dormant season, the Itoh or Intersectional hybrids retain only extremely short (1"-2") woody stems above ground level. They are representative of the progeny of crossing or hybridizing the two main groups or selections of peonies the herbaceous hybrids which die down sub surface buds during their dormant season and the tree or woody shrub peonies which retain a year round woody branch structure above ground level. Intersectional Peony Hybrids, also known as Itoh Peonies, named in honor of Toichi Itoh, the originator of these unique hybrid peonies. They can also be damaged by borers, so check regularly for signs of borer holes in the wood.īefore winter, apply a protective layer of mulch over the plant’s root zone.Peony Purple Flash is one of the many new purple Itoh Peonies that we grow at Peony Nursery 'Peony Shop Holland' Tree peonies can be susceptible to fungal diseases, so it’s best to water them directly at the root zone. Tree peonies should also be fertilized regularly with a general purpose fertilizer that is higher in phosphorus than nitrogen and potassium, like 5-10-5. They have high iron and phosphate needs and may benefit from an annual feeding of iron sulphate and bone meal in spring. Tree peonies should only ever be pruned or cut back to shape or remove dead, damaged or diseased wood.
However, unlike herbaceous peonies, tree peonies should never be cut back in autumn. Tree peony care in gardens is not any more complicated than herbaceous peony care. A properly placed, content in its environment plant can live up to a hundred years. Once established, tree peonies are drought tolerant and do not transplant well. They can be slow at first to get established, sometimes taking up to three years to grow much or bloom. New tree peony plants should be planted in spring or fall, not during the heat of summer. They do best with perennial companion plants. Tree peonies also prefer a site where they do not have to compete with roots from other shrubs or trees. They prefer slightly alkaline soil and proper drainage is essential. Too much intense sunlight can cause the beautiful flowers to fade and wither quicker.
#Purple tree peonies full
Usually labeled as full sun plants, tree peonies prefer some dappled to light shade from the hot afternoon sun. They do best where they have a cold winter for dormancy and hot summers. While some varieties of tree peonies are hardy down to zone 3, most tree peonies are hardy in zones 4-8. Unlike herbaceous peonies, the flower buds of tree peonies do not produce the sweet honeydew sap that attracts ants. These flowers, which bloom in late spring to early summer, make excellent cut flowers and come in single or double forms. They are highly prized for their large, prolific blooms that can grow up to 10 inches (25+ cm.) in diameter. Tree peonies are larger, woody relatives of the common herbaceous peony, growing up to 5 feet (1.5 m.) wide and tall in about ten years. Native to China, tree peonies were valued as a medicinal plant long before they were adored ornamentals. Itoh peonies are a hybrid cross between herbaceous peonies and tree peonies, they do die back to the ground in fall like herbaceous peonies but their flower and growth characteristics are similar to tree peonies. They lose their foliage in the fall but their woody stems do not die back to the ground like herbaceous peonies. Tree peonies are woody, deciduous shrub peonies. The roots remain dormant under the soil, then the plant stems push up in the spring. Herbaceous peonies are perennial peonies that die back to the ground each year. This article is specifically about growing tree peonies. Add terms like tree peony, itoh peony and herbaceous peony, and it can seem overwhelming. With so many varieties of peonies available these days, selecting the right peony for your garden can be confusing.
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