Paeonia × suffruticosa
Tree peony
Common names: Chinese tree peony, Moutan peony
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −25 °C
- Pruning
- Apr
- Flowering
- Apr–May
- Spacing
- 120 cm, rows 120 cm
- Water need
- Medium
Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The tree peony, botanically Paeonia × suffruticosa, originates from China, where it has been cultivated for centuries. Unlike the herbaceous peony, it does not die back in winter but forms a woody framework of stems that grows 1 to 2 m tall and almost as wide over the years. The leaves are deeply divided and often emerge reddish. From late April to May, flowers up to 20 cm across open in silky-looking white, pink, red, purple or yellow, either single or densely double. It blooms earlier than herbaceous peonies. Each individual flower lasts only a few days, but the full display extends over several weeks. It is used as a specimen plant in the bed, at the edge of a terrace or in a large, deep container. It grows slowly, is long-lived, and resents being moved.
Care instructions
Plant the tree peony in autumn, from September to October, in a sunny to partially shaded, wind-sheltered spot. Avoid locations where morning sun quickly thaws frozen buds, such as in front of east-facing walls. Set the plant deep enough that the graft union, the thickened area at the base of the stems, lies about 10 to 15 cm below the soil surface, so that the grafted stem forms its own roots. Water regularly in the first year and later only during long dry periods. Waterlogging is the most common mistake and causes roots to rot. The plant does not tolerate transplanting well, so choose the site carefully. Cover early shoots with fleece overnight when a late frost is forecast. If you prune it back, cut only above a healthy bud, as it sprouts poorly from bare old wood.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringApr–May
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, humus-rich, loamy
The tree peony grows best in deep, free-draining, humus-rich soil, which may be loamy. Neutral to slightly calcareous soil suits it well; in acidic soils it struggles. What matters is that no water stands: waterlogging makes the deep-going roots rot. On heavy, clayey soils, mix in plenty of sand or fine grit and compost, and plant slightly raised. In a container, use a deep pot with drainage holes and free-draining potting compost.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Apr, Jun
In spring, when the shoots start growing, spread a layer of mature compost around the plant without covering the shoots. After flowering, in June, put horn shavings or well-rotted manure flat around the root zone and water in. From July, stop feeding so the wood can ripen before winter. Too much nitrogen makes the shoots soft and prone to frost.
Pruning
The tree peony does not need regular pruning. In April, as soon as it starts into growth and you can see what has been frozen, cut dead shoots back to the next healthy bud. You may snap off spent flowers, though the seed heads are also pretty. Do not cut the plant back into old wood, as it shoots poorly from bare old stems. Thin out a bush that has become dense gently: take out individual old shoots over several years.
Overwintering
The tree peony is hardy and tolerates prolonged frost down to about minus 25 °C. What is at risk are the early-sprouting buds and young shoots in spring: when late frost is forecast, cover the plant with horticultural fleece at night. Protect young plants in their first winter with a thick layer of leaves over the root zone. In a container, place the pot against a sheltered house wall and wrap it in hessian or fleece so the root ball does not freeze through.
Propagation
Methods
- Layering
- Grafting
Tree peonies are almost always grafted: nurseries graft scions of the cultivar onto root pieces of herbaceous peonies. For the home garden, propagation is lengthy. Layering is most likely to succeed: in spring, pull a low-set, flexible shoot down to the ground, nick it lightly where it touches the soil, cover it with soil and weigh it down. It often needs two years to develop enough roots. Sowing is possible, but the seeds germinate slowly, and the seedlings only flower after several years and do not resemble the parent. So you will usually buy a ready-grafted plant.
For your garden
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