Paeonia lactiflora 'Black Beauty'
peony 'Black Beauty'
An upright and bushy herbaceous perennial with attractive, dissected dark green foliage tinged red in spring. Erect stems holding showy, spicily scented, saucer-shaped dark red flowers which have a small centre of prominent yellow stamens appear in late spring and early summer
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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 | Red | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Red | 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
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
- Wall side borders
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
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