Japanese Tree Peony
A Close Look At The Japanese Tree Peony
A Japanese tree peony is one of the more spectacular flowering shrubs you can have in the garden. There are quite a number of different varieties, a range of colors, and the plant can be grown in most areas of the United States. Tree peonies are originally from China, where they were for a time grown exclusively for the royal court. Once introduced to Japan, additional varieties soon came into being, and it is generally agreed upon that many of the Japanese tree peonies have more delicate blossoms than do their Chinese counterparts. Both the Chinese and the Japanese tree peony make excellent specimen plants.
The botanical name for the Japanese tree peony is "Paeonia suffruticosa". Several favorite cultivars are described below. The plant is a shrub, which grows to a height of between 3' and 4', with some varieties reaching 5'. It is a slow grower, but once in the garden can easily outlast the gardener, as these peonies have been known to reach 100 years in age, which of course makes it a super perennial. The plant is hardy in USDA Zones 4 through 8 (some say Zone 3 as well). The stems do not die back to the ground in the winter as is common with most peonies, but the plant does lose its leaves in the late fall. Foliage, followed by blossoms, returns in the spring. The peony will bloom in late spring or early summer, depending somewhat upon the hardiness zone it is in.
Propagation - Propagation is by semi-hardwood cuttings or grafting, as the plant does not set seed. It's quite common for the Japanese tree peony to be purchased online or through a plant catalog, in which case it will most often be delivered bare root during its dormant period. The young shrubs are often harvested once they go dormant, and simply placed bare root in cold storage until shipment, usually in April or May. Any time you get a bare root shrub, the roots need to be soaked for a few hours before planting, but planting is usually quite a simple task.
Four Popular Varieties - A look at four of the more popular varieties of the Japanese tree peony will give you an idea of the range of choices available.
Taiyo or "The Sun" has large, dark-red blossoms, with ruffled petals which have a satin feel to them. The semi-double blossoms can be as much as 8”wide, with the mature shrub growing to a height of 5'. This is one of several varieties which will grow in USDA Zone 3.
Another Japanese tree peony which does well in USDA Zone 3 is Godaishu, with its double-formed white flowers which are also 8” wide. Godaishu will bloom for 2 to 3 weeks and perhaps a bit longer in cooler weather.
If purple is your color of choice, Shimadauin is the tree peony for you. Hardy in Zones 4-9, Shimadauin is great either as a border plant or as a specimen plant.
One doesn't see yellow peonies all that often, so a Japanese tree peony with brilliant golden yellow blossoms is certain to be noticed. The name of the variety featuring these fully double 8" blossoms is Kinshi, another variety that will grow in Zone 3.
Owners of these peonies are universal in their praise, not only in terms of the beauty of the plants, but also make mention of the fact the Japanese tree peony is a very low maintenance plant. They also note that although the plant is said to prefer full sun, it will also do well in partial shade, as long as it gets some afternoon sun. An added bonus is that the tree peony does not attract deer, who apparently don't care much for the taste of the foliage or the blossoms.