Description
Easily grown in rich, fertile, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Plants need abundant moisture during the early part of the growing season. Plants appreciate some part afternoon shade in hot summer climates. Add compost as needed before planting. Rootstock buds (eyes) should be planted about 2” below the soil surface. Each plant will flower for approximately 7-10 days. P. lactiflora is a late blooming species (May-early June). Peony bloom time in the garden can be extended to about 6 weeks (late April-early June) by growing a combination of early, midseason and late blooming cultivars. Remove spent flowers after bloom. Cut foliage to the ground and remove from the garden in fall after frost. Plants are long-lived, do not need to be divided and can be left undisturbed for years. Plants need a cold winter dormant season. Best performance typically occurs in USDA Zones 5-7, but plants often perform well in the northern parts of Zone 8. Cover root areas with mulch in winter, especially in climates where snow cover is minimal. Named cultivars will not come true from seed.
