Types of Peonies

What are the three types of peonies?

The three main peony types grown in US gardens are herbaceous peonies (which die to the ground each fall), tree peonies (which keep their woody framework year-round), and intersectional or Itoh peonies (which die back like herbaceous types but produce the large flowers associated with tree peonies). Each type has different bloom timing, hardiness, and care requirements.

Understanding which type you have determines how you care for it, when you prune it, and what to expect in spring. A tree peony pruned to the ground in fall will not bloom for years. A herbaceous peony left unpruned develops a thatch of old stems that hosts disease. Getting these basics right extends the life of the plant by decades.

Comparison: herbaceous vs. tree vs. Itoh peonies

Herbaceous peonies: the most widely grown type in the US

Herbaceous peonies (Paeonia lactiflora and hybrids) are the peonies most US gardeners know. They emerge from bare ground in early spring, bloom for 2–3 weeks in May or June, then continue producing foliage until hard frost triggers dormancy.

They are reliably hardy in Zones 3–8, meaning they survive winters without any special care beyond cutting back dead stems in fall. The American Peony Society maintains a list of award-winning cultivars that have demonstrated consistent performance across US climate zones. The most-sold herbaceous types in US garden centers include:

Early bloomers (May):

• ‘Coral Charm’ — semi-double, coral fading to cream; Award of Landscape Merit winner
• ‘Bowl of Beauty’ — Japanese form, pink with cream center; Zone 3 hardy

Midseason (late May–early June):

• ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ — double, soft pink; the most-planted peony in the US for over 100 years
• ‘Karl Rosenfield’ — double, deep red; extremely reliable in Zones 3–7
• ‘Festiva Maxima’ — double, white with red flecks; good cut flower with strong fragrance

Late bloomers (June):

• ‘Duchess de Nemours’ — double, white; exceptional fragrance
• ‘Gay Paree’ — Japanese form, dark pink with cream center; vigorous grower

Herbaceous peonies need at least 6 hours of full sun. Plants in partial shade produce fewer blooms and stretch toward the light, making staking more necessary. In Zones 6–8, afternoon shade helps in regions with hot summers — it extends the bloom period by 2–4 days.

Flower forms within herbaceous peonies

Herbaceous peonies offer five distinct flower forms that affect appearance, fragrance, and pollinator accessibility.

Double and bomb-form peonies have the showiest flowers but the lowest value for bees and other pollinators. The stamens are buried under layers of petals and inaccessible. Single-form peonies like ‘Krinkled White’ and ‘Scarlett O’Hara’ provide accessible nectar and pollen during the brief late-spring bloom window when native bee populations are building.

Tree peonies: the longest-lived type

Tree peonies (Paeonia suffruticosa and hybrids) develop a permanent woody framework that persists year after year, unlike herbaceous types. In Zone 6, a tree peony can reach 4 feet tall and wide after 10 years, and specimens over 50 years old are documented in US botanical gardens.

They bloom earlier than herbaceous types — typically 2–3 weeks earlier, meaning late April in Zone 6. Flower sizes are often larger, reaching 6–12 inches across in mature specimens. The flowers are typically held on stiff stems that do not require staking.

Key differences from herbaceous peonies:

• Do not cut tree peonies to the ground in fall — this removes next year’s flowering wood
• In fall, remove only dead, damaged, or crossing branches
• Slow to establish: expect minimal bloom the first 2–3 years while the root system develops
• Grafted tree peonies need careful planting — the graft union should be buried 4–6 inches below soil level to encourage the tree peony to develop its own roots

Tree peonies are less commonly available than herbaceous types but can be ordered from US specialty nurseries. They perform best in Zones 5–8 without special care; in Zone 4, a loose burlap wrap after the first hard freeze protects the developing buds on exposed stems.

Popular US tree peony varieties:

• ‘High Noon’ — bright yellow, semi-double; one of the most heat-tolerant tree peonies for Zone 7–8
• ‘Duchess of Kent’ — double, pink with dark blotch
• ‘Rock’s Variety’ — white with maroon basal blotch; a heritage variety with intense fragrance
• ‘Shima Nishiki’ — double, red and white striped; unusual coloration

Itoh (intersectional) peonies: the best of both types

Itoh peonies — also called intersectional peonies — are hybrids between herbaceous and tree peonies. Japanese hybridizer Toichi Itoh crossed the two types in the 1940s, producing plants that die back in winter like herbaceous peonies but carry the large, varied flower forms and expanded color range of tree peonies.

The first Itoh hybrid reached US markets in the 1980s. Today, dozens of cultivars are widely available at garden centers and by mail order.

What makes Itoh peonies different:

• They die to the ground in fall, making fall care the same as for herbaceous types
• Bloom time falls between tree and herbaceous types — typically late May to June, extending the overall peony season
• Yellow and orange flower colors are essentially exclusive to Itoh peonies — herbaceous types lack these shades
• They tend to produce multiple stems per bloom site, making them fuller plants than herbaceous types of the same age
• They are generally more disease-resistant than either parent type

Popular Itoh varieties:

• ‘Bartzella’ — double yellow; the most widely planted Itoh peony in the US
• ‘Kopper Kettle’ — copper-orange; unusual color for any peony
• ‘Garden Treasure’ — double yellow with red flare; American Peony Society Gold Medal winner
• ‘Hillary’ — deep salmon-pink; 30+ blooms per plant in a mature specimen
• ‘Cora Louise’ — white with lavender-pink center; among the most fragrant Itoh types

The higher price ($25–60 for bare root vs. $8–20 for herbaceous) reflects the difficulty of production. Itoh peonies cannot be grown from seed — each cultivar must be propagated vegetatively, which takes 4–5 years per plant.

Bloom time by peony type: extending the season

One overlooked strategy for US peony gardeners is planting multiple types to extend bloom time across 6–8 weeks rather than concentrating it in a single 2-week window.

A well-planned planting sequence:

1. Tree peony (late April–May): opens the peony season
2. Early herbaceous types like ‘Coral Charm’ (early May): overlaps with tree peonies
3. Mid-season herbaceous types like ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ (late May): the primary show
4. Itoh peonies like ‘Bartzella’ (late May–June): bridges to summer perennials
5. Late herbaceous types like ‘Duchesse de Nemours’ (June): closes the peony season

This approach works particularly well alongside perennials that bloom in the gaps. Catmint blooms simultaneously with late peonies and provides a contrasting blue-purple color. Salvia follows immediately after, filling the mid-June gap when peonies are finished.

Peony care across all types: shared requirements

Despite their differences, all three peony types share several growing requirements.

Sun: Full sun (6+ hours daily) produces more flowers, stronger stems, and better disease resistance across all peony types. Partial shade is tolerated but reduces bloom count.

Soil: Well-drained, slightly alkaline soil (pH 6.5–7.0) is ideal. Peonies rot in waterlogged soil — this is the most common cause of plant failure. Raised beds or well-amended native soil with good drainage is strongly preferred.

Fertilizer: A low-nitrogen fertilizer applied in early spring as shoots emerge, then again after bloom, is sufficient. High nitrogen produces lush foliage at the expense of flowers.

Chilling requirement: All peonies need a winter chilling period of 6–8 weeks below 40°F to bloom well. This makes them poorly suited to Zones 9 and 10. Gardeners in those zones report sporadic, reduced blooming even with cold-hardy cultivars.

Ants: Ants on peony buds are normal and harmless. They are feeding on nectar secreted by the buds. They do not cause damage and do not need to be controlled.

Companion plants for peonies in US borders

Peonies bloom in a concentrated window, leaving the plant as a foliage backdrop for the rest of the season. Pairing with perennials that have similar cultural requirements maximizes the use of border space.

Good companions for herbaceous peonies:

• Catmint — blooms simultaneously, contrasting blue-purple with peony pink; cut back in July for fall rebloom
• Hostas — shade-tolerant foliage fills the lower edges of peony beds; their bold leaves contrast with peony foliage
• Salvia — blooms follow peonies by 2–3 weeks, maintaining color in the border through summer
• Zinnias — planted as annuals to fill gaps after peonies finish blooming in June
• Hydrangea — planted behind peonies for summer structure once peony foliage is finished

The American Peony Society maintains a searchable database of award-winning varieties organized by color, form, and bloom time — useful for building a multi-week blooming sequence using verified performers across US zones.