Overview

Longevity and Beauty

An of Array Color, Form and Plant Habit

Herbaceous Hybrid ‘Roselette’

Herbaceous peonies are one of the most easily grown hardy perennials available today.  Long lived and durable, a peony can easily live as long as 100+ years.

As a herbaceous perennial, this group of peonies produces annual stem growth during the spring and summer, only to die to the ground in late fall and remain dormant through the winter season.  The large fleshy root systems, crown and buds come to life again each spring to produce the flowers we have come to admire.

All herbaceous peonies require a period of chilling to complete their dormancy needs.   Most can typically be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 7, however, a number of gardeners have experienced positive results as far south as zone 8.

Paeonia lactiflora cultivars are the most familiar herbaceous peony seen in gardens and have their origins ‘rooted’ in China.   They are often referred to as the Chinese Peony, which continues to be commonly used in the trade today.   Lactiflora cultivars often have sweet fragrance and generally make outstanding cut flowers.

More recently, peony hybridizers began cross breeding various species to create hybrid peonies.   The hybrids exhibit a wide range of both flower and plant characteristics, which lend themselves to more diverse use in the garden and landscape.  Both P. lactiflora and the hybrids are grown in the same way, have similar plant habits and cultural requirements.

Additional Resources

Want to learn more? See below for a list of downloadable PDF resources.