From my photo files... today's plant is the tree peony

If asked what the most exquisite bloom in the gardens might be, it's quite possible that I would offer up the tree peony. While spectacular, there are also negatives to be associated with this plant... at least here in Wisconsin. Most especially, it almost always blooms near the beginning of June just when we get hit with our first hot weather.

Too much heat equals a short life span for these gorgeous blooms, especially if they are in full sun. As in the case of Taiyo (meaning The Sun) pictured above and below, many of my tree peonies are planted in dappled shade. This may mean that I get less blooms, but the ones I do get hold up longer.

Tree peonies are natives of China and it is said that they were first discovered in the sixth century and probably used for medicinal purposes originally. While related to herbaceous peonies, tree peonies are not cut back at the end of the season as they will form new buds on their old wood the following spring. For this reason they are considered a shrub and many can gain considerable size over a long life span.

I am presently in the eighth month of germinating hybrid tree peony seeds, purchased from the well-know expert, Bill Seidl. These seeds have a double dormancy and should have made a root this past season and hopefully will produce top growth in the coming season. This is an exercise in patience to say the least... not only does it take pretty much a full year (or longer) to find out if they've germinated, the waiting period for the first blooms may be five to seven years. It was necessary to keep the seeds from drying out this past season. At one point, a couple had washed to the surface of the planting medium and were showing that the casing was starting to split... I anticipate that this was an indication that germination is taking place.

Most authorities would say that planting tree peonies under trees and other shrubs is not a good idea as they don't care for the competition... this may well be true to some extent, but I do enjoy the look of their beautiful foliage, even when not in bloom with the trees growing above them. This can be seen in the next three photos.

Tree peonies do prefer the soil to be on the alkaline side and need a fair amount of iron in their diet. You may have been to botanical gardens where the tree peony foliage appeared quite chlorotic. A little iron sulphate can help out in that regard.

Tree peonies are very hardy, to zone three which is definitely a plus. Every few years I will have considerable wood die back which is normal to the best of my knowledge... new 'trunks' soon replace what has died. Occasionally, it may take a year or two to get the plant back to its previous self.

Without a doubt, the best time for planting a tree peony is in the fall. If transplanting one, you may be amazed at how huge the root has become... very old plants can literally weigh hundreds of pounds!

One should beware of overfertilizing, although an occasional use of bone meal or phosphate can produce strong roots and a good flower set. If planted in the open, a foot deep trench can be dug about the perimeter and filled with good compost. I have used gentle manures such as lhama beans on the surface about the perimeter of my plants since there are too many tree roots to dig a trench.

Tree peonies can be expensive... named varieties generally start at $50 and depending on age, one can spent a few hundred dollars on a good cultivar.  It is important to remember that these are long lived plants generally and in terms of that, these prices may not be all that expensive.

Many tree peonies are grafted cuttings on an herbaceous root. These grafts need to be planted a few inches deep and eventually will make their own roots. Beware of foliage from the herbaceous root growing and taking over the tree peony graft... it is generally easy to spot the difference in the foliage if you are looking for it.

One of my favorite tree peonies is Hesphestos  (below) which came from my own graft many years ago. This sort of propagation develops a special bond between the plant and the propagator when this is a process that one doesn't normally dabble in.

That's it for today... do give a tree peony a try.... they make marvelous cut flowers as well and there is a permanence about these plants that have an effect on the overall ambience of the garden that is hard to describe. It's also neat to think that you own a plant that at one time in history would have been reserved for the emperor only... a touch of royalty in the gardens is a nice thing...

Larry