2016 Peony 'Takara' (Treasure) Best Performer - Week 5

Peony 'Takara' 慈悲 (Treasure) aka 'Smith Opus 2' is another one of the peonies in Monrovia's Japanese Itoh Collection that was hybridized by Don R. Smith. This bush surprised me this year with its beauty and blooms this week in the mid late season. The flowers on this plant are more like a single. However, the color of the blooms is just gorgeous, with a pink orange color in the center of the petals with a wide picotee edge of an almost pink lavender color. Then the center of the blooms have hot pink red center flares that kind of form a star pattern! The blooms themselves may be single, but they are huge! If you are looking for another valuable and worthy intersectional peony to add to your collection, Peony 'Takara' 慈悲 (Treasure) is it!
Peony 'Takara' 慈悲 (Treasure)
'Smith Opus 2'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Takara' 慈悲 (Treasure)
'Smith Opus 2'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2016 Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst' Best Performer - Week 4

Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst' was hybridized by Irene Tolomeo and registered in 2001. So in the world of peonies, it is fairly new. However, with its unique coloring and numerous side buds, this plant is rapidly becoming a favorite garden specimen. This peony is a consistent performer growing larger and larger each year, with more and more blooms each year too! I am in love with the color - the clearest lavender colored peony in my garden. Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst' is even more lavender than Peony 'Lavender'! Also see all of those gorgeous lavender colored side buds on the plant? Those are more blooms that haven't even opened yet! This peony just keeps blooming and blooming! So if you like any shade of purple or lavender and you want to keep the blooms coming, Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst' is definitely a must have!
Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Sonoma Amethyst'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2016 Peony Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow Best Performer - Week 3

If you've ever really, really wanted a super early yellow peony for your Southern garden, then Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow' is it! No other early yellow outperforms this peony. The bright pastel yellow blooms are always a sight for your winter weary eyes. Their light yellow blossoms with bright sunny yellow centers bring a smile to my face each spring. Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow' was hybridized by Pehrson and registered in 1982. This peony increases well here, and comes back reliably year after year. Besides the rare color of this peony's flowers, the foliage really stands out. The huge leaves have a great presence in the garden and are a pleasing light green hue. If you don't grow this peony for its flowers, you may want to grow it for its colossal foliage!

Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Roy Pehrson's Best Yellow'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2016 Peony 'Halcyon' Best Performer - Week 1

I must say that I am usually not too impressed by Week 1 peonies. They can and do bloom here, but often they only have one or two blooms or the blooms aren't very spectacular. I must say that I have been really impressed by Peony 'Halcyon' this year. It put up 5 blooms this year, and it looks there will be even more next year (as long as we don't get a hard late frost)! Peony 'Halcyon' was hybridized by Professor A. P. Saunders and registered in 1948. In its registration, it is described as blush with purple flares. However, the flowers in my garden open a light pink violet and fade to blush over time. The flares are not purple, but more of a darker pink violet than the rest of the bloom, which makes for a very lovely flower, especially so early in the season. If you are looking for a pretty pastel peony to start your peony bloom season, this one is it!
Peony 'Halcyon'
Southern Peony Best Performer

Peony 'Halcyon'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2015 Peony 'Keiko' (Adored) Best Performer - Week 4

I must say I am really impressed with Peony 'Keiko'™ 愛幕 (Adored) this year. This peony just wowed me with its performance! This is only the second year that this intersectional peony has bloomed in my garden. I did purchase a large potted Monrovia Itoh Peony 'Keiko'™ 愛幕 (Adored) (also known as Peony 'Pink Double Dandy') plant from a local nursery in the fall almost two years ago. So I'm sure that gave it a great head start, but besides that it has just really taken off once it was able to send out its roots. Last spring this plant had 9 blooms on it. This year the plant had over 35 blooms on it! Also this peony plant was blooming for two weeks straight, and Week 4 was definitely its prime, peak bloom season. Peony 'Keiko'™ 愛幕 (Adored) has numerous side buds that open after its main buds which keep the blooms coming. This intersectional peony also shrugged off our late frost this year, with no apparent bud damage. The blooms on this plant are just awesome, opening a bright pink and fading to a softer pink over time. So if you are looking for a great intersectional peony to add to your collection, Peony 'Keiko'™ 愛幕 (Adored) is definitely it!
Peony 'Keiko'™ 愛幕 (Adored)
'Pink Double Dandy'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Keiko'™ 愛幕 (Adored)
'Pink Double Dandy'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2015 Peony 'Coral Charm' Best Performer - Week 2

Peony 'Coral Charm' certainly is a charmer. It blooms early and has a very unique and lovely coral color. This particular peony was even divided for donation two years ago. The first spring after division it suffered a bit. This year it has come back even stronger and more beautiful. A large portion of this Peony 'Coral Charm' plant was given as part of my APS Peony Donation to JC Raulston Arboretum. So it has certainly grown well here, even after begin divided. Peony 'Coral Charm' is also an American Peony Society Gold Medal Winner from 1986. So if you are looking for a coral peony to add to your collection, peony 'Coral Charm' is definitely the coral peony you're looking for!
Peony 'Coral Charm'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Coral Charm'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2014 Peony 'Paul M. Wild' Best Performer - Week 7

As I look around my garden, I find the last peony blooming its bright pink heart out, Peony 'Paul M. Wild'. He's like the last man standing in the wild west. The man, the peony that can outlast all others. Sure he's a little rough and tumble around the edges, his petals browning a little on the edges, but by this time of year whose edges aren't? Peony 'Paul M. Wild' is a dark pink, very full double peony and consistently a very late bloomer. He holds his guns until the end, and provided the weather hasn't defeated everyone by now, he lets them loose in an explosion of bright, end of the season color. So if you're looking for a peony that will not only add some additional time to your peony bloom season, but also add some bang to it, then Peony 'Paul M. Wild' is definitely your man!
Peony 'Paul M. Wild'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Paul M. Wild'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2014 Peony 'Myra MacRae' Best Performer - Week 6

When I look out in my garden, almost all of the peonies have faded by this time in the season. However one stellar bloomer stands out in an otherwise almost empty peony garden, Peony 'Myra MacRae'. This peony has increased steadily each year, and the blooms have become larger and more gorgeous with each spring season. The flowers on this peony are so large and heavy that support is a must. Without support I couldn't have selected this peony as a Best Performer, since all of the blooms would be on the ground otherwise. This is the first year I put a peony support on any peony, and Peony 'Myra MacRae' was my first choice. The blooms are such a lovely pink violet Color. Peony 'Myra MacRae' is also an American Peony Society Gold Medal winner from 1998. So if you are willing to add some support for a peony and are looking for a great late season bloomer, Peony 'Myra MacRae' will definitely give you some late season smiles.
Peony 'Myra MacRae'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Myra MacRae'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2014 Southern Peony Best Performers By Week

In case you were hoping to expand your blooms season, and were wondering what varieties would do best in a southern climate, I've added a table to my Southern Peony Best Performers page to help you find what you're looking for. This table is a handy reference of the peonies that do well for me here in my climate and whose individual flowers look good alone and together on the bush. I select the most impressive bush each week of my growing season (if there is one), and give them this designation to help all of you select the best varieties for your growing climate. I hope you find this information helpful. If you have any Questions, please send them in!

2014 Peony 'Morning Lilac' Best Performer - Week 4

Just the purple color would be enough, but that's not all. Peony 'Morning Lilac' was loaded with blooms this year that just kept coming. The flowers are huge, up to 7" in size. The foliage is strong and green, and makes a nice bush on which the up facing flowers sit atop. Peony 'Morning Lilac' is an intersectional peony (a cross between a tree peony and an herbaceous peony) with the best characteristics from both worlds - a strong grower and a wider range of flower color. The blooms are beautiful to look at with dark purple flares emanating from a golden ring of stamens at the center. For unbeatable purple color, reliable blooms, and a strong growing peony that you'll soon be able to divide and share, Peony 'Morning Lilac' is a great choice for Southern gardens.
Peony 'Morning Lilac'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Morning Lilac'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2014 Peony 'Lovely Rose' Best Performer - Week 3

I was really amazed by the performance of Peony 'Lovely Rose' this week. The color is just gorgeous - a delicate, almost coral, light pink. The petals are all neatly arranged on every one of its flowers, each flower sitting high above the lovely green foliage. I was just so drawn to it that I couldn't stop taking pictures of it. It even made this list of my favorite Peony Blooms - Early Mid - Week 3. Peony 'Lovely Rose' is a Saunders hybrid peony that is semi-double and blooms early. This is a great peony selection for the early blooming peony garden that will give you beautiful colored, symmetrical blooms on medium green, upright foliage.
Peony 'Lovely Rose'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Lovely Rose'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2014 Peony 'Firelight' Best Performer - Week 2

It was hard to choose my Southern Peony Best Performer this week. There were actually 3 contenders, and when the final decision had to be made, Peony 'Firelight' was the winner. The reason this peony beat out the other contenders hands down was because of the length of bloom, the variation in the petal color as the blooms fade, and how clean the peony bloom stems become after the bloom has faded. As you can see there are several bloom stems in the second photo that still hold their bright yellow stamens, even after the faded petals have fallen away. Also this peony actually has awesome, dark pink flares emanating from its center on each of its petals, giving it an extra point of interest. So if you are looking for a great, early blooming variety to add to your collection, Peony 'Firelight' definitely deserves a closer look.
Peony 'Firelight'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Firelight'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2013 Peony 'Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt' Best Performer - Week 5

My best performer this week was definitely Peony 'Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt'. I have always loved the shape of the blooms on this plant. They are so symmetrical, and the petals are so rounded and even, making a bloom that is very pleasing to the eye. The color of the petals is a lovely light pink. This peony is also an excellent grower in my southern climate, multiplying easily. This peony is also loaded with blooms, having multiple large full double flowers on each stem. These cloud like, cotton candy blooms are as lovely on the bush as they are in the vase. Peony 'Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt' was also selected as the American Peony Society Gold Medal winner in 1948 for "outstanding merit and excellence in all sections of the country". This selection has definitely proven true in this southern section of the country!
Peony 'Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2013 Southern Peony Best Performers

For the past couple of years now, I have been picking "Best Performers" for each week of my peony growing season. These are peonies that have just really impressed me with their blooms, their plant habit, and most importantly their ability to survive and thrive in my hot southern climate. So I've decided to collect all of this information into one place so that visitors can easily find my Southern Peony Best Performers. Also the great thing about picking a peony for each week of the growing season is that home gardeners can not only find great plants that will grow in their climate, but they can also find great plants that bloom during certain time periods so they can extend their blooming season. I will be dedicating a new Best Performers page to this endeavor that can be found on the main menu. If you are also a southern gardener and have a peony that is simply stunning in your garden, please contact me. I'm always interested in growing and evaluating new varieties that perform well.
Southern Peony Best Performer

2013 Peony 'Kansas' Best Performer - Week 4

Peony 'Kansas' is usually an okay plant in my garden, being sometimes susceptible to botrytis blight. However this year, it is really a beauty. Without any long periods of rain in the early peony growing season (when the foliage is first developing) botrytis blight has really been reduced this year throughout my garden. This has given Peony 'Kansas' an excellent opportunity to shine. The blooms are just huge, and even though some the blooms nod a bit, they are not on the ground by any means. So the stems on this plant are really strong because the size of these flowers are just enormous! The number of petals on these very full double peonies is almost unbelievable. Also you can't beat the color of these blooms, a clear dark fuchsia pink, which really stands out in the garden. Peony 'Kansas' is also an American Peony Society Gold Medal Winner from 1957.

Peony 'Kansas'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Kansas'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2013 Peony Single White Best Performer - Week 3

I don't think I can say enough about this peony to convey its value in the garden. However it's true identity remains a mystery to me. I originally purchased it from Gilbert H. Wild in 2007 as Peony 'Seraphim'. However after doing some research, it is definitely not 'Seraphim'. I took a look at Gilbert H. Wild's current catalog, and they only have 3 single peonies offered this year. It's definitely not Peony 'Isani-Gidui' or Peony 'Krinkled White', as these are mid and mid-late season peonies. This unknown variety is definitely early. So the only one it might be from this year's offerings is Peony 'Silver Shell'. I am tempted to order one of these roots for comparison purposes, but I'm quite sure that Gilbert H. Wild would just send me yet another mislabeled peony. I think they just pull their plants at random to fill orders! I will have to check out their catalog in future years for other possible identities. Anyway this particular peony is just stellar. It blooms for weeks, with a multitude of blossoms that are long lasting and gorgeous. The foliage is a lovely dark green, very tall and full. It is also very fertile, producing lots of seed. This peony has loads of buds per stem. So the blooms just keep coming and coming! If you have any ideas about this peony's true identity, I'm open to suggestions! :-)
Peony - Single White (Unknown)
Southern Peony Best Performer

2013 Peony 'Honor' Best Performer - Week 2

Peony 'Honor' has been a great performer for me for several years now. You just can't beat this plant's combination of an abundance of early blooms, a neat habit, and the knockout color. Peony 'Honor' blooms quite early here, and is the first in its color range to open for me. The color on this plant is gorgeous, a bright pink that fades into various paler shades as the blooms mature, making an interesting show with various pink color combinations. The plant's foliage is on the petite side, usually growing only about 24" tall. The blooms are well centered on the plants and the stems are close together. Although the foliage on Peony 'Honor' is not large, its stems are upright and close together, not spreading or falling over. If you're looking for an early season peony that performs well in a southern climate, Peony 'Honor' is definitely a very honorable pick!
Peony 'Honor'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Honor'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2012 Peony 'Feather Top' Best Performer - Week 7

By far my favorite this week has been Peony 'Feather Top'. The blooms on this peony are huge and the variation in petals and color makes this flower a real winner. There's an outer layer of hot pink guard petals topped by yellow tipped petaloids with a crown of hot pink. Peony 'Feather Top' was hybridized by Wild & Son and registered in 1967. It is not currently a Gold Medal winner, but I definitely think it should be considered for it. This peony took a little time to get adjusted to my southern climate, but now it has really taken off in growth and in blooms. This peony definitely deserves a spot in your garden!
Peony 'Feather Top'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Feather Top'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2012 Peony 'Angel Cheeks' Best Performer - Week 6

Week 6 was another great week in the peony bloom season here in the South! It's been amazing how many peonies have been blooming and the number of blooms. Peony 'Angel Cheeks' was definitely the winner in my garden this week, and the cheeks on this peony were too cute to resist! This peony started blooming on April 22, and still has a few blooms left today, May 9th! The varied form of the double blooms and the variety of colors in each bloom make this plant very attractive. Each bloom is unique in form and color, and it's always a pleasant surprise! Peony 'Angel Cheeks' is also an American Peony Society Gold Medal winner from 2005, and this hard working and beautiful peony really earns its medal!

Peony 'Angel Cheeks'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Angel Cheeks'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2012 Peony 'Bartzella' Best Performer - Week 5

To see the pictures from my favorite individual blooms from week 5, you can find them in my post 2012 Peony Blooms Late Mid - Week 5. My best performing peony plant as a whole was definitely Peony 'Bartzella'. She really outdid herself this year. Every year she has grown in stature, foliage, and blooms. There were so many blooms this year, the plant was laden! The color of the petals is such a bright yellow, and it really stands out in the garden, especially since yellow is a rare color in peonies. The bold yellow blooms are made possible by the plant's tree peony heritage. Peony 'Bartzella' is an intersectional peony, a cross between an herbaceous peony and the tree peony, Paeonia Lutea. Peony 'Bartzella' is also an American Peony Society Gold Medal winner from 2006.
Peony 'Bartzella'
Southern Peony Best Performer


Peony 'Bartzella'
Southern Peony Best Performer