Peonies are native to various regions spanning from Asia, particularly China, where they have been cultivated for over 2,000 years, to Europe and Western North America.
The genus Paeonia is most diverse in Asia, especially in China, which is considered one of the primary centers of origin. Some species of peonies are native to Southern Europe, with Greece being notable for its wild peonies. There are also native species in Western North America, although they are less commonly cultivated than their Asian counterparts.
Peonies are perennial plants, which can be herbaceous (dying back to the ground each winter) or woody (tree peonies, which have a shrub-like structure). Plant can grow to about 2-3 feet in height, forming clumps. The foliage is usually deep green, providing an attractive backdrop to the vibrant flowers. The leaves can be broad and deeply lobed.
Peony flowers are large, often fragrant, and come in a variety of colors including white, pink, red, yellow, and even some shades of purple. The flowers can be single, with a few broad petals, or double, filled with numerous petals creating a lush, full look. They typically bloom in late spring to early summer, depending on the variety and climate.
Cultivation
- Peonies require a period of cold to induce flowering, which makes them well-suited to temperate climates.
- They prefer full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil.
- Once established, peonies can live for decades, even up to 100 years, and they don’t like to be disturbed or transplanted often.
There are many cultivated varieties of peonies, with differences in color, flower form, fragrance, and blooming time, catering to a wide range of aesthetic preferences in gardening.
Varieties of Peony (Paeony) Plants
Bowl of Beauty
One of the most iconic peonies ever cultivated, Bowl of Beauty features large, deep rose-pink outer petals that cradle a dense, creamy-white center of narrow inner petals. It blooms in late spring and is beloved for its striking two-tone contrast. A reliable grower, it thrives in garden beds and makes a spectacular cut flower.
Sarah Bernhardt
Named after the legendary French actress, this is arguably the world’s most popular peony. It produces enormous, fully double blooms in soft apple-blossom pink with silvery petal edges. The flowers carry a sweet, rose-like fragrance and appear in late spring. Sarah Bernhardt is a robust, long-lived plant that has been a garden staple for over a century.
Festiva Maxima
A classic heirloom peony dating back to 1851, Festiva Maxima bears large, fully double white flowers flecked with tiny crimson markings at the center. The blooms are richly fragrant and appear early in the peony season. This is a vigorous, upright grower that has stood the test of time in gardens around the world.
Karl Rosenfield
This deep, vivid crimson peony is one of the most reliable red varieties available. Karl Rosenfield produces large, fully double blooms with a lush, velvety appearance and a gentle fragrance. It blooms in mid-season and holds its color well, making it a top choice for both garden display and floral arrangements.
Coral Charm
A semi-double peony celebrated for its breathtaking color transition, Coral Charm opens as a deep coral-orange and gradually fades to a soft peach and cream as it matures. It was named the Peony of the Year in 1986 and remains a showstopper in any garden. Its large, cup-shaped blooms appear in early to mid-season.
Duchess of Nemours
Introduced in 1856, this fragrant white peony is a true garden classic. The fully double blooms open with a hint of creamy yellow at the center, then fade to pure white as they mature. Duchess of Nemours is an early bloomer with strong, upright stems that hold its heavy flowers well. It naturalizes beautifully over the years.
Eden’s Perfume
Widely regarded as one of the most fragrant peonies in existence, Eden’s Perfume produces large, fully double blooms in a warm shell pink. The scent is intensely sweet and carries well across the garden. It is a mid-season bloomer that grows to a tidy, compact size, making it excellent for smaller garden spaces.
Raspberry Sundae
True to its name, Raspberry Sundae offers a delightful confection of colors — creamy outer petals surround a fluffy center of soft pink and raspberry hues. This fully double, bomb-type peony has a sweet fragrance and blooms in mid-season. It is a vigorous grower that produces an abundance of flowers.
Alexander Fleming
A mid-season peony with large, fully double blooms in a warm, deep rose-pink, Alexander Fleming is prized for its strong fragrance and generous flower production. The blooms are carried on robust stems, making them ideal for cutting. This variety naturalizes quickly and forms impressive clumps over several seasons.
Pink Hawaiian Coral
A semi-double peony with luminous, salmon-coral blooms that seem to glow in sunlight, Pink Hawaiian Coral is an early-season standout. The petals have a silky texture, and the flowers reveal attractive golden stamens at the center. It transitions from coral to a softer pink as the blooms age, providing changing color interest.
Shirley Temple
This elegant peony produces large, fully double blooms that open in a soft blush pink and fade to a pure, ruffled white. Shirley Temple is an early-to-mid-season bloomer with a pleasant fragrance and strong stems. It is one of the most dependable white peonies for the home garden, growing into a full, bushy plant.
Red Charm
Red Charm is a bomb-type peony with spectacular, fully double deep red blooms that are some of the largest in the peony world. The mounded, globe-shaped flowers sit atop sturdy stems and have a light, pleasant scent. An early bloomer, it is consistently awarded top honors in peony competitions and is highly sought after.
Garden Treasure
A rare intersectional (Itoh) peony, Garden Treasure produces a profusion of large, semi-double yellow flowers with striking red flares at the base of each petal. It blooms in mid-season and bears dozens of flowers per plant — far more than a typical herbaceous peony. It was the first Itoh peony to win the Gold Medal from the American Peony Society.
Bartzella
Bartzella is one of the most celebrated Itoh peonies, producing enormous, fully double, lemon-yellow blooms with subtle red flares at their centers. The flowers are lightly fragrant and appear in abundance across a wide, shrubby plant. Bartzella blooms for an extended period and is exceptionally hardy and disease-resistant.
Cora Louise
Another outstanding Itoh peony, Cora Louise bears large, semi-double white flowers adorned with dramatic lavender-purple flares at the base of each petal. The contrast between the white petals and dark flares is truly stunning. It blooms in mid-season, is highly fragrant, and produces many flowers on a compact, well-branched plant.
Candy Stripe
As charming as its name suggests, Candy Stripe is a double-flowering peony with white petals boldly striped and splashed with raspberry pink. No two blooms are identical, giving each flower a one-of-a-kind appearance. It is a mid-season bloomer with a sweet fragrance and strong, upright growth habit.
Honey Gold
Honey Gold is a fully double, mid-season peony with creamy white outer petals enclosing a dense center of warm golden-yellow petaloids. The combination of white and gold gives it a soft, warm glow that stands out in the garden. It has a pleasant fragrance and is known for its vigorous growth and abundant flowering.
Moonstone
A refined and elegant peony, Moonstone produces large, bomb-type blooms with pale blush-pink outer guard petals and a creamy white center. The flowers have a translucent, porcelain-like quality in soft light. Moonstone is a mid-season bloomer with a gentle fragrance and is widely used in bridal and wedding floristry.
Buckeye Belle
Buckeye Belle is a stunning semi-double peony with large, dark maroon-red blooms that are among the deepest in color of any peony variety. The flowers reveal bright yellow stamens at the center, creating a dramatic contrast. An early bloomer, it has a subtle fragrance and is a reliable, vigorous grower in the landscape.
Monsieur Jules Elie
Introduced in 1888, Monsieur Jules Elie is a fragrant, fully double peony with enormous globe-shaped blooms in a rich, bright rose-pink. The petals are neatly arranged in a classic, formal pattern, and the flowers are held on strong stems. This heirloom variety remains one of the most beloved mid-season peonies of all time.
Elsa Sass
Elsa Sass is a fragrant, late-season peony bearing fully double, pure white flowers with perfectly arranged petals. The blooms are large and neatly rounded, with a clean, classic appearance. It is a vigorous plant that produces many flowers and is excellent for cutting. Its late bloom time helps extend the peony season in the garden.
Laura Dessert
A treasured heirloom from 1913, Laura Dessert produces fully double blooms with creamy white outer petals and a lemon-yellow center that fades to white as the flower matures. It is one of the few herbaceous peonies with a genuine yellow tone. The flowers are fragrant and appear in mid-season on a sturdy, upright plant.
Flame
True to its name, Flame is an early-season single peony with vivid, flame-red petals arranged in a simple, open cup surrounding a golden center of stamens. The flowers are relatively small but produced in great numbers, creating a fiery display in the garden. Flame is a vigorous grower and one of the earliest peonies to bloom each year.
Nippon Beauty
Nippon Beauty is a single Japanese-type peony with rich, dark red outer petals and a central boss of narrow, golden-yellow staminodes. The contrast between the deep red and bright gold gives it an exotic, jewel-like appearance. It blooms in mid-season and is a graceful, upright grower that performs reliably year after year.
Roselette
Roselette is a delicate, single-flowered peony with soft, rose-pink petals that surround a central cluster of cream-and-gold stamens. The blooms are dainty yet plentiful, giving the plant a light, airy appearance when in full flower. It is an early-season variety that is particularly valued for its graceful, natural look in informal garden settings.
Prairie Moon
Prairie Moon is a herbaceous peony valued for its soft, pale ivory-yellow blooms — one of the few true yellow tones found among herbaceous peonies. The single to semi-double flowers open in mid-season and have a light, pleasant fragrance. It forms a compact, tidy mound and is valued for the rarity of its coloring.
Lemon Chiffon
Lemon Chiffon is an Itoh peony producing cheerful, semi-double blooms in a warm, soft yellow with subtle pink undertones and red-purple flares at the base. The flowers are plentiful and long-lasting on the plant. It combines the best qualities of herbaceous and tree peonies, offering vigor, disease resistance, and extended bloom time.
Kopper Kettle
Kopper Kettle is a uniquely colored Itoh peony with blooms that shift through a range of warm tones, from coppery-orange and russet to salmon and gold as they age. The semi-double flowers have prominent red flares at the base. This variety is prized by collectors for its unusual, warm-toned coloring, which is unlike most other peonies.
Hillary
Hillary is a vigorous Itoh peony producing large, semi-double blooms in a warm peach and cream combination, with light red flares at the center. The flowers are abundant, long-lasting, and pleasantly fragrant. Hillary is regarded as one of the best-performing Itoh peonies for overall garden value, combining excellent flower production with a tidy growth habit.
Charlie’s White
Charlie’s White is a fully double, late-season peony with large, snowy white blooms that are among the purest white of any peony variety. The flowers have a rounded, formal shape and a sweet fragrance. It is a vigorous grower that produces many flowers per stem and is considered one of the finest white peonies for the cutting garden.
Angel Cheeks
Angel Cheeks is a mid-season bomb-type peony with softly ruffled, fully double blooms in a delicate combination of pale pink and cream. The flowers have a light, sweet fragrance and sit atop sturdy stems. It is a popular choice for weddings and floral arrangements, valued for its romantic, soft appearance.
Snow Mountain
Snow Mountain is a fully double, mid-season peony with large, creamy white blooms that have a warm ivory center and a light fragrance. The flowers are globe-shaped and elegantly formed, sitting on strong, upright stems. It is a reliable and vigorous variety that is highly regarded for its classic beauty and exceptional cut-flower quality.
Burma Ruby
Burma Ruby is an early-season single peony with intense, jewel-bright red petals surrounding a central cluster of golden stamens. The color is one of the truest, most vivid reds found in the peony world. It is a reliable, vigorous grower that blooms early in the season and performs consistently well in a variety of garden conditions.
Sword Dance
Sword Dance is a stunning Japanese-type peony with deep, vivid red outer petals contrasting dramatically with a broad, dense center of narrow golden staminodes edged in red. The overall effect is bold and exotic. A mid-season bloomer, it is a showpiece variety that draws attention in the garden and is highly prized by collectors.
Do Tell
Do Tell is a Japanese-type peony with an unusual and captivating appearance: the outer petals are a soft rose-pink, while the center is packed with narrow, twisted staminodes in swirls of pink, rose, and cream. No two blooms look exactly alike. It is a mid-season variety with a delicate fragrance and a truly one-of-a-kind floral display.
Pink Princess
Pink Princess is a fully double, mid-season peony with abundant, medium-sized blooms in a clear, warm rose-pink. The flowers have a pleasant fragrance and are produced in great numbers on a compact, well-branched plant. Its manageable size and prolific flowering make it ideal for smaller garden spaces and container growing.
Blaze
Blaze is a single Japanese-type peony with vibrant, orange-red petals and a striking central mound of bright yellow stamens. The large flowers are produced freely on upright stems and bloom in mid-season. Blaze is known for its bold, eye-catching color and its excellent vigor and dependability in garden settings.
White Cap
White Cap is a Japanese-type peony with rich, dark magenta-red outer petals that contrast sharply with a fluffy white center of narrow, cream-tipped staminodes. The two-tone contrast is dramatic and beautiful. A mid-season bloomer, White Cap is a vigorous, floriferous plant that consistently performs well and is widely admired.
Dinner Plate
Named for the extraordinary size of its blooms, Dinner Plate is a fully double, deep pink peony with flowers that can reach up to 10 inches across. The petals are neatly arranged in layers, creating a formal, rounded flower of impressive scale. It is a mid-season variety with a sweet fragrance and is popular in the cut flower trade.
Duchesse de Nemours
Not to be confused with a similar variety, this heirloom double white peony produces perfectly formed, globe-shaped blooms with a warm cream center that fades to pure white. The flowers are strongly fragrant, and the plant is known for its vigorous, upright growth. It has been a garden classic for over 150 years and remains widely grown today.
Myrtle Gentry
Myrtle Gentry is a fully double, late-season peony with large, fragrant blooms in a soft, warm pink with hints of peach and salmon. The flowers are beautifully formed and produced on long, strong stems, making them among the finest for cutting. It is one of the most fragrant peonies available and has been highly decorated in peony shows.
Coral Sunset
Coral Sunset is a semi-double peony celebrated for one of the most dramatic color transitions in the garden — the blooms open in a vivid coral-orange and progressively fade through peach, salmon, and finally cream as the flowers age. A single plant can display several colors at once. It is an early-to-mid-season bloomer with outstanding garden presence.
Gay Paree
Gay Paree is a Japanese-type peony with vibrant, cherry-pink outer petals and a distinctive center of creamy-white staminodes touched with pink at the tips. The combination is cheerful and bright, and the flowers are produced in abundance. It blooms in mid-season and is a long-lived, vigorous variety that is especially effective when planted in groups.
Pillow Talk
Pillow Talk is a bomb-type peony with large, soft, rounded blooms in a warm shell pink. The flowers look like luxurious, ruffled cushions and have a delicate, sweet fragrance. A mid-season bloomer, it is one of the most popular peonies in the world due to its perfect form, beautiful color, and reliable garden performance.
Scarlett O’Hara
Scarlett O’Hara is a single-flowered peony with large, vivid rose-red petals surrounding a central boss of golden stamens. The blooms are simple but striking, and the plant is an early-season performer that sets the stage before fuller double varieties open. It is a vigorous, easy-to-grow variety suited to a wide range of garden styles.
Krinkled White
Krinkled White is a single peony of exceptional purity and elegance, producing large, pure white flowers with softly crinkled petals that surround a center of bright golden stamens. The blooms have a cool, silky texture and a light fragrance. It is an early-to-mid-season variety that is widely considered one of the most beautiful single white peonies.
Miss America
Miss America is a semi-double peony with large, ruffled white petals surrounding a brilliant center of golden stamens. It blooms in early to mid-season and has a light, sweet fragrance. The flowers are produced abundantly and have a fresh, natural appearance. Miss America has won numerous awards and is consistently recognized as one of the finest white peonies.
Fairy’s Petticoat
Fairy’s Petticoat is a double-flowered peony with soft, blush-pink blooms that are delicately ruffled at the edges, giving the flowers a layered, petticoat-like appearance. The fragrance is sweet and pleasant, and the flowers are produced on strong, upright stems. It is a mid-season variety that is popular in cottage gardens and for use as a cut flower.
Vivid Rose
Vivid Rose is a fully double, mid-to-late-season peony with intensely colored, bright rose-pink blooms that maintain their bold color even in warm weather. The large, well-formed flowers have a pleasant fragrance and sit on sturdy stems. Vivid Rose is an excellent garden performer that provides a strong splash of color late in the peony season.
America
America is a single-flowered peony with broad, silky petals in a rich, coral-salmon red that fades slightly toward the edges. The golden stamens at the center create a warm, glowing contrast. Blooming early in the season, America is one of the finest single red peonies available, combining vivid color with a graceful, open flower form that is both bold and refined.