9 Beautiful Peony Colors to Grow in Your Flower Bed This Spring

Heirloom herbaceous common peonies come in four colors: white, blush, pink, and red. However, through years of cultivation and breeding, more and more colors and variations are now available ranging from coral to yellow to purple to variegated blooms.

Along with the range of colors of common peonies, there are equally as many cultivars, tree peonies, and hybrids that offer more colors and levels of fragrance.

• The common garden peony (P. lactiflora) is found in most home gardens and is available in a variety of flower forms and colors.

• P. officinalis and P. peregrina are native to Europe and are desired for their red flowers.

• The woodland peonies (P. japonica and P. obovata) are best suited for shade gardeners.

• The distinctive fern leaf peony (P. tenuifolia) is noted for its finely cut, fern-like foliage and crimson red flowers.

• Tree peonies (Paeonia suffruticosa) are deciduous sub-shrubs that bloom for a week to 10 days in mid to late spring with big, fragrant peony flowers.

• The Itoh peony (Paeonia cvs.) is a hybrid of common herbaceous peonies and tree peonies, also known as the intersectional peony.

Peony Planting and Care

Peonies require cold winters to induce plant dormancy, so they are rarely used as garden plants in USDA growing zones higher than seven. Peonies are slow-growing but easy to maintain.

The flower heads of peonies are large and heavy so staking is important to support the blooms, especially after rains. The only other regular maintenance required is the removal of the foliage in the fall.

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White

• 'White Emperor': A semi-double white Itoh peony with a cream stamen ring.

• 'Double White': This common peony produces large, bold satiny white double blooms from late spring to early summer.

Pink

• 'Double Pink': The buds of this common peony open to reveal stunning, pale shell pink blooms with slight hints of lavender in late spring.

• 'First Arrival': An Itoh peony, 'First Arrival's' gently ruffled petals emerge pink before aging to a pastel shade. The large blossoms reach six to seven inches in diameter and have dark maroon-pink blazes at the center and a tuft of yellow stamens.

• 'Jacorma Pink': This medium pink double-flowered common peony has five or more outer guard petals and a center of stamens and carpels that have transformed into petals creating a full-bodied flower.

• 'Joker': 'Joker' begins as a double common peony bloom with pink petals edged with darker pink. The blossoms then mature to white with pink picotee on the tips.

• 'Celebrity': A bombe-shaped double common peony, 'Celebrity' is a mid-season blooming variety. Deep rose-pink petals surround a bi-color center of tufted rose-pink and pink-chiffon in six to seven-inch diameter flowers.

• 'Raspberry Charm': 'Raspberry Charm' features large, deep raspberry-pink blooms with ruffled petals.

Red and White

'Candy Stripe' was registered in 1992 as a double, white and red-striped common peony.

Red

'Red Charm' is a bombe-shaped (named after the ice cream dessert) peony bloom. The stamens of this style of flower are transformed into inner petals that are narrower than the outer guard petals.

Burgundy

'Scarlet Heaven' is an Itoh peony with deep scarlet-red petals surrounding a golden yellow center. The seven to nine-inch wide blooms arrive in late spring and fade to burgundy.

Red-Purple

'Peter Brand' is a common peony with six-inch wide double blooms that start as a deep red before developing into a beautiful purple.

Purple

Though there aren't any true purple peonies, the variety 'Agnes Mary Kelway' appears purple and white when you look closely.

Yellow

‘Bartzella’: This Itoh peony features semi-double to double, pastel yellow flowers with a small rose-purple flare in the center. The blooms measure six to eight inches in diameter.

Coral

• 'Coral Sunset' is a common peony with large, semi-double coral-pink blooms.

• 'Etched Salmon' peony blooms have a cupped, rose-like bloom with silvery salmon-pink petals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rarest peony color?

Red blooming fern leaf peonies, with their feathery foliage, are among the rarest peonies.

Is there a blue peony?

While there are hundreds of peony varieties, there are no blue peonies.

What is the most popular peony?

Pink is the most popular color of peonies, with white running a close second. Pink peonies cultivars range from blush to hot pink.

Read the original article on The Spruce.