Spring is here, and I can't wait to watch flowers bloom in every yard and garden! One of the prettiest springtime flowers is the peony, an amazingly vibrant and majestic flower. Peonies are in the Paeonia genus, and these perennials come back every year with their colorful and distinctive petals. The best part is, you can plant a variety of peonies in your garden to have beautiful blooms for weeks. Here are 10 peony varieties to plant for a gorgeous garden during peonies season!
1. Pink Hawaiian Coral Peony
These pink peonies are called pink Hawaiian coral for their luxuriously bright petals, reminiscent of the vibrant coral reefs under the sea. Scientifically called Paeonia lactiflora, these herbaceous peonies thrive in full sun to partial shade, and they do best in well-draining soil. This early season peony is a low maintenance choice for your garden, and will grow to about 3 feet tall. These cultivars grow in the USDA hardiness zone 3-8, so they'll grow happily anywhere that doesn't get too cold or hot. These early season bloomers are the perfect flowers for a springtime garden.
2. Sword Dance Peony
The 'Sword Dance' or paeonia lactiflora is beloved for its magenta and yellow blooms, which bring a unique combination of colors to your garden. This type of peony also loves full sun and well-draining soil, and is a late season bloomer. Although most types of peonies are affected by the wind, these hardy blooms are wind resistant and can be placed anywhere in your garden. Plant these peonies to attract butterflies!
3. Bird of Rimpo Peony
The 'Bird of Rimpo' or Paeonia suffruticosa variety grows up to 4 feet tall and is a fan of full sun or partial shade. This tree peony should be planted where it will receive at least four hours of sun a day but will be protected from strong wind. The Bird of Rimpo grows wonderfully pink and yellow flowers, larger than the peony blooms of most varieties. These beautiful peonies bloom in spring and early summer, and they exude a spicy, fragrant scent.
4. Souvenir de Maxime Cornu Peony
For a tall peony variety, plant peony 'Souvenir de Maxime Cornu' or Paeonia lemoinei. These shrubs grow up to 7 feet tall, and they thrive in full sun or partial shade. These colorful blooms grow in yellow, orange and pink, and they have an intoxicating scent. This type of peony's blooming season runs from late spring to early summer, like most mid-season varieties.
5. Peony Bartzella
These bright yellow peonies have a delicious citrus scent, and they feature a subtle but lovely dash of pink in the center. The Bartzella only grow up to 2 feet tall, and they do well with full sun and well-draining, fertile soil. One of the best things about this beautiful variety is its long blooming season, which lasts throughout all of May and June. Plant these lovelies for an extended peony season full of blooms! Within the first year of life, this Itoh peony produces 30 flowers, a number that doubles when the plant is mature.
6. 'Coral Charm' Peony
Florists often choose the 'Coral Charm' variety for peony bouquets to showcase its wonderful color. One of the first peonies to bloom, this variety is an early season bloomer. Although most peonies will bloom in the late spring at earliest, some climates might get a few blooms from this one in the early spring. The Coral Charm lives up to its name, featuring coral-peach flowers that brighten any garden. Plant this one in full sun and watch it complement the bright colors of your tulips and garden roses.
7. 'Cora Louise' Peony
The 'Cora Louise' peony grows a beautiful range of purple, yellow and white peonies. It loves full sun and fertile, well-draining soil, blooming in late spring and early summer. The peonies produced by this variety are eight to ten inches across, bringing bold pops of color to your garden. When DIY landscaping with color in mind, the 'Cora Louise' is an excellent choice for the rare shades of its flowers.
8. Peony 'Garden Treasure'
The 'Garden Treasure' peony thrives in full sun or partial shade and should be planted in well-draining, fertile soil. This vibrant plant grows bright yellow and red flowers that carry the scent of lemons. This one is aptly named, as it has won multiple awards for its amazing flowers! Each flower can have up to 50 petals, that ruffle outward into a cup shape. These beauties are mostly yellow, but they have a red center, providing a striking contrast. This plant blooms throughout the late spring and early summer, with flowers that last from two to four weeks. A mature 'Garden Treasure' will grow over 50 blooms at once, filling the yard with resplendent, colorful flowers.
9. Peony 'Julia Rose'
The 'Julia Rose' is a special variety, beloved by florists for its pink, yellow, orange and purple blooms. The amazing characteristic of this variety is that its flowers change color! They bloom in red, opening into orange petals, which then become an apricot shade with purple edges. Then, they become a light yellow. Since each flower develops at a different speed, the plant often has flowers of varying shades. This Itoh peony prefers full sun to partial shade and well-draining, rich soil, and attracts bees and butterflies with its spicy scent.
10. Pastel Splendor Peony
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The Pastel Splendor peony is known for its incredible shades of pink, white and fuchsia. This Itoh peony loves sun and is considered an early to midseason bloomer. An intersectional peony, the Pastel Splendor grows to 3.5 feet tall and 4 feet wide. It usually flowers on its first or second springtime, and is considered by gardeners to be an excellent grower. Plant the Pastel Splendor for an array of pink and red blooms to brighten your yard!
