Line up the Peonies

One of my favorite May blooming flowers is the peony. We actually had a border of white and pink peonies in the yard of my childhood home. My mother used them in large mass arrangements for the hall stand. The flowers are also beautiful alone in a bud vase or floating in a brandy snifter. Peonies are ancient flowers, some native to the Asian Mediterraneum or China and two species endemic to North American's northwest and California. The reference book, "100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names" cites the Roman Pliny the Elder attributing the name to Paeon, an early physician god. The Romans probably carried them to Great Britain. Peonies, scientific name Paeonia, in the family Paeoniaceae, are both herbaceous perennials and woody shrubs. The 19th Century Europeans chose and cultivated the herbaceous perennials for their gardens. The woody shrubs, called tree peonies, were carried to Japan in 700s and were bred there. Today there are also Itoh Hybrid peonies, a cross of herbaceous and tree peonies. Peonies are classified by their blossoms. Color on the herbaceous plants include white, pink, red, and bluish. Tree peonies come in red, white, pink and yellow. Modern breeding has achieved a coral, yellow and patterned. The American Peony Society recognizes six flower forms ranging from single to double. Each blossom has guard petals. The single and Japanese have five or more guard petals arranged around the carpels and stamens. In anemone, bomb, semi-double, and double forms the stamens are transformed into petaloids, small narrow petals in the center of the flower. The guard petals are often a darker color than the petaloids which gives added beauty to the blossom. Kansas State University Extension calls the peony "one of the easiest, most rewarding plants to grow." Peonies can live as long as fifty years. They are also cold hardy and grow well in our area. They prefer full sun in moist, fertile, well-drained fertile soil. Compost is good for peonies but only light mulch. Too much nitrogen will cause floppy growth and retard blooming. Peonies should be planted in early fall. This allows the root and crown structure to develop. The crown should only be 1 to 2 inches below the surface or blooming will be prevented. Competition from shrubs on other flowers can also hinder blooming. Peonies should be spaced away from these and 3 to 4 feet apart from each other. Dividing peonies is not recommended. It takes two of three years for the plant to grow and produce a lovely flower display. If divided, care must be taken when digging to leave the roots or eyes intact. Each division should contain three to five strong buds and a generous portion of the fleshy root. KSU Extension recommends growing them in a cold frame for a year before putting them in the landscape. Peonies are prone to fungal blights particularly in very wet springs. Blackened splotched foliage or buds that don't open are symptoms of these diseases. Infected foliage should be removed. It is also important to clean up the foliage in the fall. Approved fungicides are available but must be applied when the new shoots are 2 to 4 inches tall. Peonies are prone to wind damage. Many times I have seen beautiful clumps of blooms tumble over after a bad storm. My sister solved this problem by allowing the plant to grow up through a gridded support. KSU Extension suggests stakes with twine. "Peonies in the Garden" by KSU Extension, an internet article, lists recommended cultivars for both herbaceous and tree peonies. This list also tells bloom time. Growing several types could create a spring garden of continuous bloom. We are fortunate to have the Nichols Arboretum of the University of Michigan in our driving area. The arboretum, located on the Ann Arbor campus, has a peony garden that is home to cultivars introduced in the 19th and 20th century as well as classic tree peonies and Itoh hybrids. The peonies bloom from mid May to late June. This could be a nice field trip for a lovely spring day.