Paeonia 'First Arrival'
An intersectional or Itoh peony and an upright and compact herbaceous perennial with attractive, dissected dark green foliage, green in summer, tinged bronzy-red in spring and autumn. Erect stems holding showy, spicily scented, semi-double, saucer-shaped pink flowers fading to cerise pink towards the centre appear in late spring and early summer, with a particularly long flowering period.
Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.5–1 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Pink | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Pink | Green | ||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Paeoniaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Potentially harmful
- Pets (dogs, cats): Skin irritant. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
- Genus
Paeonia may be herbaceous perennials or deciduous sub-shrubs with large, divided leaves and showy large bowl-shaped flowers, usually in early summer
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Will grow well in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade in a sheltered position. See herbaceous peony cultivation for more details.
Propagation
Propagate by division in autumn and early spring
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- City and courtyard gardens
- Wall side borders
- Flower borders and beds
- Cut flowers
Pruning
Remove spent flowers and cut back foliage in autumn when it dies back
Pests
May be susceptible to leaf and bud eelworm and soil-dwelling swift moth caterpillar
Diseases
May be susceptible to a virus, honey fungus, Verticillium wilt, peony leaf blotch and peony wilt
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.