Peonies bloom at Pentecost, that's what the name says. However, it's not quite that simple. While it used to be mainly the pink-red perennial peonies that bloomed in cottage gardens, thanks to tireless perennial breeding, there are now many different varieties. The color spectrum extends from white, yellow, pink and red. And the timing of flowering also varies. There are early, middle and late varieties.
Perennial peonies
These are the most famous and oldest peonies. The farmer's peony Paeonia officinalis rubra plena has been cultivated since the Middle Ages. Other varieties that were then used for breeding came from China. The plants grow to a height of around 60 to 100 cm and look good in perennial beds. These peonies bloom for several weeks. To ensure that the perennials remain beautiful for a long time, dead flowers should be removed before seeds begin to form.
Variety selection according to flowering time
Early (early to mid-May):
- Athena, pink/white, unfilled
- Blushing Princess, pink, half filled
- Claire de Lune, white/cream, unfilled
- Coral 'n Gold, orange, unfilled
- Henry Bockstoce, dark red, filled
- Magenta Moon, violet, half filled
Medium (mid to late May):
- Angelika Kaufmann, white, unfilled
- Ann Cousins, white/cream, filled
- Antwerp, violet, Japanese flower shape
- Balliol, dark red, unfilled
- Candy Stripe, multi-colored striped, filled
- Carol, red, filled
Late (beginning of June):
- Adolphe Rousseau, red, filled
- Bouquet Perfect, pink, filled
- Bowl of Cream, white/cream, filled
- Cheddar cheese, multicolored/yellow, Japanese flower shape
Tip:
Perennial peonies are good for the vase because they last a long time. To do this, they are cut as soon as the flowers begin to open.
Intersectional Hybrids
Perennial and shrub peonies were crossed for these new varieties. The first varieties came from Japan. These peonies bloom medium and late. A special feature is the delayed flowering. In contrast to the other species, not all flowers bloom at approximately the same time. In rare cases, some of the hybrids produce another flower in the summer. They remain smaller than the shrub peonies, but do not pull in all the foliage in winter like the perennial peonies.
Variety selection according to flowering time
Medium (mid-May):
- Ballarena de Saval, purple, unfilled
- Bartzella, yellow, half-filled
- Forst Arrival, pink, half filled
- Joanna Marlene, multicolored, half filled
- Red Double Seedling, dark red
- Scarlet Heaven, red, unfilled
Late (end of May to beginning of June):
- Canary Brilliants, apricot, half filled
- Cora Louise, white/cream, half filled
- Court Jester, yellow, unfilled
- Julia Rose, pink, half-filled
- Love Affair, white, half filled
Tree peonies
They are also called tree peonies and come from China, where they have been bred for a very long time. They grow like a bush and develop double or unfilled flowers. These peonies take a few years to fully bloom. They then reach a height of up to 3 m. They are divided into different categories.
The Lutea hybrids bloom early, from early to mid-May or late, late May to early June. These hybrids were the first yellow tree peonies to be bred because corresponding wild species were crossed. When fully grown, these plants reach a height of around 1.20 to 1.50 m. They are then 10 – 12 years old.
Varieties:
- Antigone, yellow, half-double,early
- Banquet, red, half filled,early
- Aphrodite, white/cream, unfilled,late
- Ariadne, apricot, half filled,late
- August Moon, yellow, half full,late
- Black Douglas, dark red, unfilled,late
Suffruticosa
Peony – Peony – Paeonia officinalis
The tree peonies Suffruticosa bloom at the end of April and are therefore among the earliest peonies. Medium varieties open flowers in early May and late mid-May. There are Japanese, Chinese and European/American varieties.
Varieties:
- Duchesse de Morny, pink, half-filled,early
- Hatsugarasu, dark red, half-filled,medium
- Shimanishiki, colorful stripes, half filled,medium
- Godaishu, white, half filled,late
- High Noon, yellow, half full,late
- Yagumo, dark purple, half-filled,late
Rockii Hybrids
The Rockii hybrids bloom after the Suffruticosa. Early varieties in early May and mid-May. For these breedings, the wild species Päonia rockii, which is native to China, was crossed. It is very robust and sprouts late. These varieties bloom predominantly undouble or semi-double in different colors and have a typical basal spot in the flower. Rockii hybrids grow faster and stronger than Suffruticosa varieties and become wider with age.
Varieties:
- Ambrose Congrève, pink, half-double,early
- Dojean, white, half-filled,early
- Souvenir de Lothar Parlasca, yellow, unfilled,early
- Katrin, violet, half-filled,medium
