Tree peonies.....

...are shrubs too! This is 'Sahohime'

Kev, how do you treat your tree peonies? I have a seedling grown from the original introduction of P. rockii and would like to give it a suitable habitat here.

Guy S.

That is gorgeous!

Guy--Mine are all grown in full sun, with perhaps a bit of break in the late afternoon. Friends grow them in dappled light, while another friend has hers in nearly full shade. I saw it today, covered in huge blooms. I saw the others in dappled light yesterday, and same deal, blooming their little heads off. Fairly adaptable I would say!

10-4, thanks! My seedling is all of about 4" tall, so it will be a few years before it will look like much.
Guy S.

Guy have you heard of Nurseries. You can buy a plant full grown. Hee Hee. I want Tree peonies. What is the # 1 and #2 for zone 4-5?

Yeah, but there are three factors involved here. First, I can't afford to buy every plant I want to grow, and tree peonies are expensive. Second, peonies are way down my priority list -- as long as we have a few representative species and selections for visitors to see, that's all I need. Third, and most important in this case, I grew this one from seed I collected in Germany from the original Rock introduction. It's always better for a scientific collection to get a plant with such a history than something of undocumented origin from a nursery.
Guy S.

Paeonia rockii, wild origin from China via the Danish National Arboretum, Hørsholm

Resin

I do so like the tree peonies. They should be more commonly used. Nice pic Resin.

This is another from my garden this morning. I am too lazy to go look up the correct name. We shall dub thee red Tree Peony!

This makes me want to go out and buy more tree peonies...I only have three and only two of them flowered this year and they are all finished here. I like them better than the herbaceous ones...they also don't seem to need as much sun.

Guy S, will your seedling develop into a tree peony or just a herbaceous peony? I just bought one that is grafted to root stock.

Good question...my tree peonies reseed to herbaceous ones.

Levilyla--???--are you sure the rootstock from the graft hasn't taken over? I have never heard of tree peonies reseeding as herbaceous.

Hmmmmmm....now I feel really stupid. I think you are correct...if the herbaceous ones are right next to the main plant (tree peony) then I guess it IS just coming up from the root stock. Anyway...THAT happens. LOL Well I have learned something else from you guys. Thanks. Nancy

The seedling was grown from the wild species (see resin's photo above), not from a hybrid cultivar, so I presume it will breed true if it was self-pollinated. I guess we'll find out in a few years, if it lives.

Guy S.

Yep Levilyla, chop those imposters off before they sap more energy from the mother plant.

Oh...you mean I should cut them off?

Yes--they are suckering from the rootstock, which is a herbaceous peony. Is there woody peony material as well? Meaning, does the true tree peony still survive or is it only suckering understock now?

I have 5 or 6 tree peonies, but sad to say the labels are unreadable so I don't know which varieties they are. I will post a couple of photos just to prove that I really do grow them.

Donna

And here is a yellow one. These two are growing in semi shade. Have a couple others growing in full sun.

Donna

Kev...yes the real tree peony is alive and well and it bloomed.