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Herbaceous Perennial

Paeonia daurica

A clump-forming herbaceous perennial to around 75cm high, with leaves divided into nine broadly oval, mid green leaflets with rounded tips and often wavy edges. In late spring and early summer, cup-shaped single flowers are produced at the tips of the stems, with red, pink or occasionally white petals, and purple filaments in the centre

Synonyms

Paeonia triternata
Paeonia mascula subsp. triternata

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Clay

Sand

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Paeoniaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming, Bushy
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: Correct
Plant range: SE Europe to Iran

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in deep, rich, well-drained soil, ideally in full sun but will tolerate light shade. Will not tolerate waterlogging. Flowers may need support, see staking perennials. See herbaceous peony cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed or by division, lifting and dividing established clumps in autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Low Maintenance
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back to ground level in autumn, to remove dead foliage and reduce the risk of disease

Pests

May be susceptible to leaf and bud eelworm and swift moth caterpillar

Diseases

May be susceptible to a virus, honey fungus, Verticillium wilt, peony leaf blotch and peony wilt

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