2018 Transplanting My First Tree Peony

P. Rockii Lavender Tree Peony Bud
It was past time to move the first tree peony that I'd like to watch. That peony, a very vigorous pink-lavender P. Rockii peony is featured as the first peony in my recent 2018 Southern Peony Seedlings article. I've never moved a tree peony before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I've always heard that tree peonies don't like to be moved. However I'm hoping this one won't be hurt since it is still a young plant and not fully established in its original location. I was a bit surprised to see that this tree peony still had some green leaves, as almost all of my other tree peonies have already died back. The first thing I did before I tried to dig it was create a planting hole for it. I also added a bit of EcoScraps fertilizer in the hole. I never fertilized the P. rockii tree peony seeds when I planted them. So I'm curious to see what this peony can do with some extra food and more sun. I decided to plant it in a nice, sunny spot right next to my bird feeder.


P. Rockii Lavender Tree Peony Tagged for Watching

P. Rockii Lavender Tree Peony Leaves

P. Rockii Lavender Tree Peony Planting Hole
I tried to be very careful when digging it out, especially since it was very crowded (and I mean very) in original location. I put the original seeds in my peony seedling bed about 2-3 inches apart when I originally planted them. (I know, I know - that is too close, but I wasn't even sure if they would sprout or not since I'd previously not had much luck growing tree peonies from seed.) It's a wonder these tree peonies are able to grow at all, much less bloom with that much competition. However this particularly vigorous seedling was the tallest of all its siblings, and it had pretty much figured out how to beat the system. It had sent out a very long lateral root that was actually taller than the plant itself. The root was growing past all of the other sibling tree peonies out of the peony seedling bed. I tried to get all of it out, but it looks like I still lost a bit of the root at the tip.


Digging P. Rockii Lavender Tree Peony

P. Rockii Lavender Tree Peony Roots

P. Rockii Lavender Tree Peony Root Length

P. Rockii Lavender Tree Peony Stem Height
The root actually ended up being even longer than the tree peony was tall. The root (what I got of it) was 30" long! So that means it would have been even longer if I hadn't snapped the end off. The tallest stem was 28.5" tall. I'm curious to see how tall this tree peony grows with time. Since the hole I dug for the root was not 3 feet wide (or larger), I decided to dig a trench for the long lateral root next to my planting hole. Maybe that's not the best solution, but that's what I decided to do. I don't really have the time or energy to dig a hole that big anyway! I am really, really excited to see what this tree peony can do next year. I also planted a newly purchased tree peony 'Leda' that I just decided to purchase this fall from Song Sparrow near it. It won the APS Gold Medal in 2014, but I never bought it until now. I am curious to see how these two tree peonies compare as they grow...


P. Rockii Lavender Tree Peony in Its New Home

Transplanted P. Rockii Lavender Tree Peony

2018 Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' Best Performer - Week 3

I do not cease to be amazed by this tree peony. I used to not really like tree peonies all that much, but I have to credit this one with changing my mind. Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' is a dream plant. It has wonderful vigor, increasing in size and blooms every year. Its bloom buds withstand our late freezes, and the color of the flower just blows your mind. This tree peony was hybridized by Bill Seidl and registered jointly by Bill and Nate Bremer in 2013. I missed being able to purchase it in 2013, but by 2014, I was ready to hunt it down. The pictures of this full grown plant on Solaris Farms' web site called to me! The semi-double flowers are a beautiful shade of lavender with just a hint of pink. The petals are large and ruffled, the center of which emanates a dark purple flare. If you missed your chance to purchase this one again this year (it is already sold out for 2018), make sure to put it on your 2019 peony purchase list! Tree Peony 'Angel Emily'
Southern Peony Best Performer
Tree Peony 'Angel Emily'
Southern Peony Best Performer
Tree Peony 'Angel Emily'
Southern Peony Best Performer

2018 Tree Peony Companions Azaleas

Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' with White Azalea
If you don't grow azaleas, you are definitely missing out. Azaleas are easy to grow bushes that don't require any extra care. They grow well in zones 5-8. So they have a pretty wide growing range. They are loaded with blooms in early spring, and with so many colors to choose from, you are sure to find one that fits in your garden. There's white, pink, coral, red, lavender, yellow, and all colors in between! They typically like to be grown in half shade/half sun. If you plant them in too much shade, they won't bloom well (just like tree peonies). So a little more sun is better.
Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' with White Azalea
They also bloom around the same time as tree peonies, thus making the perfect brilliant backdrop for your favorite tree peonies. Pictured here is a common white azalea (purchased quite inexpensively as a very small bush many years ago) with Tree Peony 'Angel Emily'. I just love the gorgeous lavender pink blooms of Tree Peony 'Angel Emily', which contrast well with the bright white blooms of the large azalea. If you don't yet grow azaleas, now's your chance to plant a very low maintenance shrub that grows larger and blooms abundantly (without any help from me) every year! Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' with White Azalea

2018 Amazing Color Changing Tree Peony 'Taiyo' 太陽 (The Sun)

Color Changing Tree Peony 'Taiyo' 太陽 (The Sun)
When I first saw this bud show some color, I thought for sure that I'd gotten the wrong peony. However I think I actually have the correct one. Tree Peony 'Taiyo' 太陽 (The Sun) is supposed to be a red peony. The bud first came out with light pink petals. Even as the flower began to open they were still pretty pink. However the petals actually became darker and darker as the bloom fully opened. I've seen lots of peonies open and lose their color, but this is the first time I've ever seen a peony get darker and more colorful as it ages - definitely new and different (and a bit exciting!) for me. Take a look at the transformation of this tree peony bloom from pink to red below!
Tree Peony 'Taiyo' 太陽 (The Sun) Bud


Tree Peony 'Taiyo' 太陽 (The Sun) Bud Opening


Tree Peony 'Taiyo' 太陽 (The Sun) Bloom Opening


Tree Peony 'Taiyo' 太陽 (The Sun) Bloom

2018 Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' Best Performer - Week 2

Of all the tree peonies I've tried to grow, this one is definitely the easiest to grow. It doesn't mind our heat. The bush gets larger every year - no shrinkage. And the blooms become more and more plentiful as well. It is a great start to the peony season, with plenty of brilliant white blossoms decorating a nice bush. Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' 鳳丹白(Feng Dan Bai) is a Chinese cultivar of p. ostii. If you don't grow any tree peonies, and are looking for a good one to start with, this one is it. It is relatively inexpensive (compared to most other tree peonies),is widely grown (so it should be easy to find), and really takes care of itself (requiring very little intervention). Also if you do already grow tree peonies, this one would be an easy going variety to add to your collection. It really is a great tree peony for all peony lovers.
Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' 鳳丹白(Feng Dan Bai)
Southern Peony Best Performer

Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' 鳳丹白(Feng Dan Bai)
Southern Peony Best Performer

2018 Straight Line Winds Flatten Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate)

Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate) Flattened
Wow! We had a doozy of a storm last night. It definitely could have been much worse. There were tornadoes maybe an hour west of here. The worst damage I found in my garden was that my Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate) had been flattened. When I first saw it from afar, I was really worried that it had snapped off, but it didn't! That was really lucky. It was laying pretty much flat on the ground. Somehow it just bent over without breaking. The weight of the water in the flower combined with the straight line winds was just too much for it.
Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate) Righted
I was able to right it, and stake it up with a bamboo stake and some twine. I think it will be okay, but we'll see. I can't wait to see the bloom open on this tree peony. Having just saved it seems to make it all the more special. This will be the first time this tree peony has bloomed for me. I planted it in 2017, and it seems to be happy and growing well. This particular plant also appears to be the correct variety, which several of my tree peonies are not. I will try to publish a post on that later about peonies and which ones have been true to name. This Tree Peony 'Koukamon' has a dark purple maroon color bud on it right now. I expect it will open fully tomorrow. I can't wait!
Tree Peony 'Koukamon' 皇嘉門 (Floral Gate) Bloom

2018 I'm in Love (Again!) with Tree Peony 'Fuchsia Ruffles'

Tree Peony 'Fuchsia Ruffles'
I don't know how it's happened, but yet another tree peony from Solaris Farms has stolen my heart! Last year it was 2017 In Love with Tree Peony 'Angel Emily'. This year it's Tree Peony 'Fuchsia Ruffles'. Purple is most definitely my favorite color, and this tree peony has quite a bit of purple. It is a lovely, deep shade of fuchsia, a dark pinky-purple. It appears to be RHS Purple 71A on the RHS Color Chart. Let's just say this flower is aptly named, with loads of deep fuchsia petals, all with a ruffled, frilly edge.
RHS Purple Color Chart with
Tree Peony 'Fuchsia Ruffles' Just Opening
I think Solaris Farms is trying to make all of the die-hard herbaceous peony fans into tree peony fans, and they're doing a fantastic job of it! For years I tried to grow tree peonies, but was unsucessful - and growing tree peonies shouldn't be that hard to do here. It was likely low quality bare root tree peonies (from less reputable sellers) and maybe a bit of inexperience (okay maybe a lot!) that caused several of my first tree peonies to fail. However Solaris Farms sends huge, beautiful roots, well adapted and ready to take root in your garden. I can't say enough good things about the tree peonies I've purchased from them. Now I can't wait to see what's next!
Tree Peony 'Fuchsia Ruffles' Up Close

2018 Spring Tree Peony Planting 'Kinkaku' & 'Lavender Grace'

Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' from Song Sparrow
The Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' that I purchased when 2018 Klehms Song Sparrow Offers Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' on Front Page of Web Site, arrived this week and so did another peony I ordered from Ebay seller orientalpeony, Tree Peony 'Kinkaku', also known as 'Souvenir de Maxime Cornu'. I got both of them planted this week. They are quite a bit behind my other tree peonies in foliage growth, but we are set to have a nice day of rain tomorrow (after almost 2 weeks on no rain!). So that should give them both a nice cloudy day to settle in after been sun-starved for a few days while in transit. We are also expecting some lower than normal temperatures and since both of these tree peonies came from a colder growing zone, that should help them feel more at home and hopefully begin to adjust to the much warmer temperatures here.
Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' with Bud
Both of these tree peonies were actually a very nice size, and Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' even came with a bud on it. Let's hope I can take care of it well enough to see it through to maturity. Tree Peony 'Kinkaku' looks like it will have more foliage than 'Lavender Grace', and it appears to be a bit older too. I can't tell if it has a flower bud on it or not. I guess there could be, but right now it looks like it will not flower this year. All in all I am pretty happy with both of my purchases, and I can't wait to see them grow...
Tree Peony 'Kinkaku' Sprouting

Tree Peony 'Kinkaku' from Ebay

2018 Third Peony Bloom of the Season - P. Rockii Lavender Tree Peony Seedling

P. Rockii Lavender Seedling
The 3rd peony bloom of the season opened today, well, almost. It didn't quite open all the way. So I guess a bit of the excitement will be saved for tomorrow, but I got to see the full bud on this peony today, and the beautiful lavender color of its petals. The awesome lavender color on this one excites me, as well as the fact that it seems to be so vigorous, blooming much sooner than its siblings, and growing much taller and faster as well. This P. rockii seedling is actually from some seed I bought on Ebay, 2013 Tree Peony P. Rockii Seeds on Ebay, which turned out to be 2013 P. Rockii Peony Seeds from Cricket Hill Garden. It is the first P. rockii tree peony to bloom for me ever. It first bloomed last year, but I mostly missed it, just saw a few petals dropping after the bloom. I have been growing P. rockii's that I bought as plants (from 3 separate sources) longer than this seedling has existed, and they've still never bloomed. This P. Rockii lavender seedling actually has 2 buds on it this year. So I will get the chance to see two blooms on it!
P. Rockii Lavender Seedling with 2 Buds

2018 Cold Damage Tree Peony 'Lavender Hill'

For the second year in a row a late freeze has killed all of the buds on my Tree Peony 'Lavender Hill'. It is still a bit too early to tell what the extent of the damage to all of my peonies is from the late freeze we got this year, but it is already quite evident on Tree Peony 'Lavender Hill'. There are two buds on this tree peony, and they should be continuing to grow and swell, but they are not. Both of the buds that were developing normally before the cold snap, have stopped developing and started to shrink. This will mark the 2nd consecutive year that cold has killed all of the buds on my Tree Peony 'Lavender Hill'.
Small Bud on Tree Peony 'Lavender Hill'
Blasted by Late Cold Temperatures

Advanced Bud on Tree Peony 'Lavender Hill'
Blasted by Late Cold Temperatures
Another tree peony, Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' sits right beside of this Tree Peony 'Lavender Hill'. However Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' still has most of her buds. She only lost 1 out of 10 buds (2018 Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' Goes from 3 Buds to 10 Buds in One Year of Growth!) due to the late cold. That's a 90% bud survival rate, pretty good! If your growing area is prone to late cold snaps, and you are looking for a lavender tree peony to purchase, I would definitely recommend Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' over Tree Peony 'Lavender Hill'.
Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' Bud Showing Color

2018 Second Peony Bloom of the Season - 'Yao's Yellow' 姚黃 (Yao Huang)

Tree Peony 'Yao's Yellow' 姚黃 (Yao Huang)
The second peony bloom of the season opened today, and it was a tree peony! It is also the first time I have seen this tree peony bloom. So that's nice. I planted this tree peony in the fall of 2016, and it developed its first bud this year. I must say for being called 'Yao's Yellow', it certainly is a bit white. I guess you could call it cream or creamy white. It does seem to match the photo on Cricket Hill's website for 'Yao's Yellow', though. So maybe this variety is just not that yellow. It also seems to have the same double form, a bomb type double, with a nice yellow ring of stamens. It hasn't fully opened yet so I'll be curious to see what it looks like tomorrow. It has a nice scent too.


Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' 鳳丹白 (Feng Dan Bai)
Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' also bloomed today. I thought it might wait for tomorrow, but at the very end of the day, it just started to open. So I guess you could say there was a tie for the second peony bloom of the season here, but technically Tree Peony 'Yao's Yellow' did open first, earlier in the day. This Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' is actually a very good grower here in the South. This is my largest tree peony of any I grow (and the oldest). It is probably about 3 feet tall. I planted it in the spring of 2013. So it is 5 years old this year, and it has 8 buds on it. This was the first of the 8 buds to open this year.

2018 Klehms Song Sparrow Offers Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' on Front Page of Web Site

Song Sparrow Offers Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace'
So it has been a couple weeks - since it's not on their front page right now, but in case you missed it, I saved a screen shot of it for you... (and me). Klehm's Song Sparrow offered Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace' on the front page of their web site. And I've been thinking and thinking and thinking about it! So it wasn't an impulse purchase, but I finally caved in and purchased Tree Peony 'Lavender Grace'. Puprle/lavender is my favorite color, and the front cover on their web site really got me. The lavender gray fern, the dark purple heucheras, and that peony, that lavender tree peony... I just couldn't resist. Also this one appears to be hybridized by Roy G. Klehm and registered in 1998. It's APS registration says it has pollen, but the fertility is not noted. It would be nice if works for hybridizing.


Song Sparrow Offers Tree Peony 'Ezra Pound'
Advertises Open House and Pick-Up Days
If you are looking to add a few more peonies for the spring bloom season, Song Sparrow ships their tree peonies and intersectional peonies as potted plants in the spring! That's right - you don't have to wait until fall to get a bare root. Yes, their shipping fees are higher, but you get a growing plant in dirt that's going to be at least a year ahead (or more) than any bare root peony you will plant this fall. That's like buying yourself a year's time! Also if live anywhere near driving distance, their website front page now says that their "Open House and Pick-Up Days" are coming up in May. So you can save yourself the shipping fee if you live nearby...

2018 Peonies and Digging Dogs Do Not Mix!

Herbaceous Peony 'First Lady' Dug Up and Severed
I had just moved a couple herbaceous peonies that were not getting enough sun into a bed with much more sun. The next day this is what I find! Terrible! This newly replanted peony root had been dug up, flung from its planting hole, with several of the large storage roots severed, and one pink eye severed as well. I did manage to get what was left of this peony replanted again, dispose of the severed storage roots, and replace the mulch on it. Then I gave it a good watering. I don't think this peony will be able to bloom this year. If somehow it does, I will let you know.
Peony 'First Lady' Replanted
(and Trying to Regain Her Dignity)
This is just no way to treat a 'First Lady'! We do have leash laws here, but unfortunately many people let their dogs loose to do as they please and destroy other's property. Very unfortunate. I hope this peony will come back, but it may take a couple extra years now. This seems to be just yet another loss after several other disappointing losses this year. The stems on several of my tree and intersectional peonies have been broken by some wildlife as well, it seems. How do you protect your peonies from animals and wildlife?


Broken Stem on
Intersectional Peony 'Smith Family Yellow'

Broken Stem on
Tree Peony 'Li Yuan Chun' 李园春

Broken Stem (with Bud!) on
Tree Peony 'White Phoenix' 鳳丹白 (Feng Dan Bai)

2018 Fresh Layer of Top Soil on Tree Peonies

Fresh Layer of Top Soil on Tree Peonies
Freshly Applied in February
There's only one kind of peony that you can't plant too deep in the South - a tree peony! Most peonies grown in the South (herbaceous peonies) need to be planted with the eyes at ground level. You need to be very careful not to plant them too deep or they will not bloom. The eyes (small pink growth buds) of the peony need to be close to or right at the soil surface so they can collect chilling hours during the winter, enabling the plant to bloom. These peonies are the most common type of peony, herbaceous peonies - the ones whose foliage dies back to the ground every fall/winter.

However tree peonies are a totally different story. Tree peonies have woody stems that persist above ground year to year, and the flower buds develop on these above ground woody stems. Since the buds develop in the cooler above ground air (not within eyes or growth buds at the warmer soil/ground level), the tree peony buds are much more easily able to collect the chilling hours they need to bloom in our Southern climate. Since the buds are above ground on the stems, they cannot be buried in too deeply in the warm earth. Most tree peonies are grafted tree peonies (a branch that is cut from a mature tree peony specimen and is fused with a root from an herbaceous peony). These grafted tree peonies really need to be planted deeply for 2 very important reasons.

Important Reasons to Plant Your Grafted Peony Deep

1. The herbaceous root (or nurse root) that has been grafted to the tree peony stem must be planted far enough underground so that it never has a chance to sprout herbaceous foliage.
(You're trying to grow a tree peony, not some ugly flower from an herbaceous root stock).

2. The tree peony stem needs to be planted as far as possible underground so that it can attempt to grow roots of its own. These tree peony roots can only grow from the tree peony stem. So if you never plant the tree peony's stem below ground, it will not have a chance to grow these tree peony roots. Allowing it to grow its own roots will give the tree peony the opportunity to really take off and establish itself.


Fresh Layer of Top Soil on Tree Peonies
2.5 Weeks Later in March
To this end I like to put a fresh layer of top soil / organic compost around all of my tree peonies every year or two. As you can see I just put this fresh top soil out 2 1/2 weeks ago, and the tree peonies are already enjoying it. Adding this new soil makes sure they are still planted deep enough to attempt to grow some roots of their own, and it also adds a fresh layer of nutrient rich soil right over the tree peony's roots. You can also take this opportunity to sprinkle a little slow release organic fertilizer around them as well. If you do this, I would recommend sprinkling the fertilizer first, then adding the top soil / organic compost on top (or mixing it in). Have you fed your tree peonies yet this year? If not, now is a great time to do so - right before the foliage and blooms appear, giving your tree peonies the nutrition they need to be be best they can be. So what are you waiting for? Your tree peonies are calling you...

2018 Tree Peony 'Angel Emily' Goes from 3 Buds to 10 Buds in One Year of Growth!

Tree Peony 'Angel Emily'
Triples Bud Count From Previous Year
I cannot believe it! This is so exciting! I have not grown another tree peony that has grown this well and this quickly. If you like purple (and I do), you really must add this tree peony to your purchase list. Most of the other peonies I have grown have struggled along trying to become established with 1 bud or no buds, trying to send up a shoot, but this peony, this tree peony, Peony 'Angel Emily', is much different. It is so vigorous, and grows so well here in my Southern climate too. Last year this peony had 3 buds and blooms in it's 3rd year of growth, and now it has increased to 10 buds in it's 4th year of growth. That is more than triple the number of blooms than the previous year, very impressive! I can't wait to see how this peony looks when it blooms this year. I will make sure I capture all of its beauty to share here with you all. If you aren't yet convinced this tree peony belongs in your garden, perhaps the spring bloom pictures will do it. They say a picture is worth a thousand words...