Paeonia 'Court Jester'
peony 'Court Jester'
'Court Jester' is a deciduous shrub to 75cm tall with deeply-divided, dark green leaves. Mildly-fragrant, single flowers open yellow-orange with red flares at the base of each petal and a ring of golden-yellow stamens before fading to a creamy-pale yellow with age
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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
5–10 yearsUltimate spread
1–1.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
Spring | Cream Orange Yellow Red | Green | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | Cream Orange Yellow Red | Green | ||
Autumn | Green | |||
Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Paeoniaceae
- Native to the UK
- 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
Best in a deep, fertile, humus-rich soil that is moist but well-drained in a sheltered position in full sun or partial shade. See tree peony cultivation for further information.
Propagation
Propagate by division in autumn or early spring
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
Cut back to about 15cm in autumn, as leaves die off, then trim back to the topmost live bud when growth starts in spring
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
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