Preferences:

Chinese, Mongolian and Siberian perennial; grows to 3' tall and needs support; vase shaped. Peonies need full sun or light shade (full shade plants are good but don't produce many flowers and are more susceptible to botrytis, grey mould). They require a well drained site and a deeply prepared soil base. Once planted they should not be moved.

Cultural Practices:

Propagation: is done through division - in August to early September. The clumps should be cut into sections containing 3 - 5 eyes. These divisions should be no more than 1" below the soil surface. Deeper planting inhibits growth and is one of the primary reasons why it will not flower. It takes up to 3 years to flower again. You can transplant them at any time as I have had to but the plant does not like it and can often lose more than half its growth. In the fall the plant should be cut back to prevent a build up of disease. As I was told and the rule I follow is that in the fall when the leaves of the peony turn red it is time to cut back all of your perennials.

Landscape Value:

There are probably as many peony cultivars as there are roses. Peonies can go for $12 to $250 for the yellow cultivars. My favourite and most dependable are Karl Rosenfield (dark pink-red), Sarah Bernhardt (light Pink).

Single flowering variety

A new variety that is starting to show up on shelves is the Chinese Tree Peony. If you are lucky and it makes it though the winter, this plant takes years to flower and needs to be in protected conditions.