The peony has been a treasured flower in Asia for centuries. And it is no wonder when you look at a peony’s delicate tissue paper petals that form the nodding head blossom.
Peonies have a reputation of being tricky to grow, but the key to healthy and beautiful peonies is in proper placement, and proper site preparation before you plant. Once you have that right, you can step back and let your peonies do their thing, which is to provide us with breathtaking flowers, and in many cases, fragrance.
All peonies are extremely long-lived plants lasting up to 50 to 70 years, so once you get them planted correctly, you will enjoy them for years and years.
A peony planted in the early fall will have the opportunity to put out a good number of feeder roots before the following spring. I've noticed in my garden that fall planted divisions that have had several weeks of growing time before the ground freezes, do better the following year than those that have had less time to develop new roots. This is particularly important if the spring is hot and dry.
In general, herbaceous and intersectional peonies require a sunny, well drained location. They will however accept, and perhaps benefit, from some light shade in areas that have very hot dry summers. In my area, Southern Québec, the rule of thumb is that 6 hours of direct sunlight a day will ensure maximum flower production.
Tree peonies have a slightly different growing range. They can be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 8 or 9 but require winter protection in Zones 4 and 5 to bloom reliably. Tree peonies will also support more shade. Deep shade however will reduce flower production. The best shade is that provided by a high, light foliage canopy.
At our farm most of the peonies are grown in full sun with no shade whatsoever. We do however have peonies growing on the eastern side of the house. These peonies are in full sun only until the early afternoon and they perform as well as those in the field.
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