Our trials for heat-tolerant peonies have provided some amazing results. Not only are some of the wild peony species proving to be well-adapted, but several of the peony cultivars, especially those with Paeonia lactiflora bloodlines, are doing amazingly well, as are the fabulous intersectional peony hybrids (herbaceous peonies x tree peonies).
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We will continue to expand our listing of peony selections with new plants from our trials. Paeonia are great flowering perennials that gardeners from the northern states know well. Peonies are long-lived hardy perennials with huge 5-10" wide flowers that come in a wide range of colors from white and yellow to pink and red that attract butterflies.
Peonies are easy to grow...sun, well-drained soil, and even moisture are they keys. Peonies are great deer-resistant, pass-along plants...after a few years, your clump will be large enough to divide and share with friends. We also carry the hard-to find woodland species Paeonia japonica and Paeonia obovata for those who want to collect them all. When you are ready to buy heat-tolerant paeonia (peonies) for your perennial garden, check out our list of peonies for sale below.
Since 1988, Plant Delights Nursery has been the choice of serious gardeners and plant collectors looking for the best and rarest perennial plants. We are pleased to have received the Perennial Plant Association Retail Award in 2011, the American Horticulture Society Commercial Award in 2002, and to have been selected as one of the Best Mail Order Plant Sources - Garden Design Magazine 2010. Welcome to our family of plant lovers!
Paeonia 'Bartzella' is the Rolls Royce of peonies, and we are thrilled to have enough of this splendid intersectional (herbaceous x tree) peony to share. This stunning deer-resistant hybrid goes dormant to ground level and buds like a herbaceous peony but has flowers and foliage like a tree peony. Developed by peony breeder Roger Anderson of Wisconsin, established clumps of Paeonia 'Bartzella' can reach 3' tall x 3' wide with up to 80, 9" wide, fully-double yellow flowers. The flowers don't fall over in the rain like herbaceous peonies, and their opening is staggered over a 6-week period. Our offerings are huge flowering-sized plants.
In our 6-year peony trials, Paeonia 'Blaze' has consistently been one of the most floriferous cultivars, producing up to 20 large, single, bright red flowers per clump. For us, this is an early-flowering deer-resistant selection, often opening in late April. Because of the flower size, staking may be helpful if rain is in your forecast when the flowers are fully open. Pot Size: 3 qt. (2.83 L)
This 1986 introduction from Wisconsin breeder Roger Anderson combines the best of herbaceous peonies with the color, style, and sturdy stems of tree peonies. This intersectional hybrid makes a 2' tall clump, topped in May with huge 10" white flowers, highlighted by a dark maroon central pattern that lightens as it melds into the white body of the flower. Our intersectional peony offerings are all huge, deer-resistant, field-grown plants.
Unlike many of its more common and gaudy cousins, this demure woodland Japanese peony makes an 18" tall x 18" wide clump with grey-green foliage. In early spring it is topped with lovely 3" wide white cups fading to a dark burgundy center with yellow stamens. After the flower, the pods split to reveal gorgeous metallic-blue seeds on red stalks. Paeonia japonica is great as a deer-resistant specimen in the woodland garden or scattered throughout the shady perennial border. This is often mistakenly sold as Paeonia ovata 'Alba'. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
It's hard to imagine, but this 1928 hybrid is still one of the finest peonies on the market...especially for gardeners in the South. This Paeonia lactiflora hybrid boasts very sturdy 2' tall stems, topped in early May (NC) with dozens of large, 6" single white flowers, highlighted by the bright yellow stamens. Paeonia 'Krinkled White' has proven to be one of the top low-chill, heat-tolerant, deer-resistant peonies in our trials...simply stunning! Pot Size: 3 qt. (2.83 L)
Paeonia 'Lake of Silver' has proven to be one of the best double-flowered peonies in our heat tolerance trials, producing 34" tall, sturdy stalks of large, double, carmine pink pompoms that appear tipped in silver. For us, Paeonia 'Lake of Silver' starts flowering in late April. These are large, multi-eyed, flowering-sized plants that are most importantly, deer-resistant. Pot Size: 3 qt. (2.83 L)
Roy Klehm's Peony 'Magenta Gem' has been one of the top standouts in our southern peony trials. Paeonia 'Magenta Gem' makes a sturdy 2' tall x 3' wide deer-resistant clump topped, starting in late April, with clusters of semi-double dark magenta pink flowers, each highlighted by an attractive central cluster of yellow stamens. Our 5-year-old clump produces over 25 flowers...truly outstanding! Pot Size: 3 qt. (2.83 L)
We are thrilled to offer one of the most sought-after plants for the woodland garden...the very rare Paeonia obovata. Similar to P. japonica, the stems of deer-resistant, grey-green foliage arise in late spring to 18". Topping the stems are marble-sized buds opening to lovely, single, dark rosy pink flowers in mid-May (NC). Paeonia obovata is a great foliage textural contrast with hostas and ferns in the woodland garden. In October, the attractive bright red seeds become visible as the pods burst open. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
We are very excited to offer this little-known form of the prized woodland peony. Paeonia obovata ssp. obovata var. willmottiae hails from 8,000'+ on rocky slopes in the mountains of Hubei and Shaanxi provinces. Most of the material sold is Japanese in origin compared to this Chinese form. The deer-resistant variety willmottiae is much more vigorous than typical Paeonia ovata and is topped by single, white, cup-shaped flowers about 2 weeks earlier...early April in NC. This is in limited supply, so get them while they last. Pot Size: 2 qt. (1.892 L)
This 1996 Bill Seidel intersectional peony introduction (from Roger Anderson seed), produces large 10" wide flowers that emerge pastel yellow, highlighted by prominent maroon blotches in the center. As the yellow flowers age, they become suffused with light pink that progresses from the petal tips toward the center. Paeonia 'Pastel Splendor' makes a stunning, occasional reflowering, 3' tall, deer-resistant specimen with very sturdy stems, and great heat-tolerance thanks to its tree peony genes.
I was thrilled to find this deer-resistant peony right at the top of the list from our heat-tolerance trials and, with a wonderful southern name, I expected no less. At our Spring Open House, no plant drew more comments than our stunning clump of Paeonia 'Scarlett O'Hara'. The brilliant red, single flowers and contrasting mass of golden stamens on 3' tall stems makes this a real attention-getter in the garden. If you have a full-sun garden, you need this peony and, yes, we frankly do give a damn. Pot Size: 3 qt. (2.83 L)
(syn: Paeonia suffruticosa ssp. ostii) From China's Gansu, Hunan, and surrounding provinces comes an endangered tree peony species that was first published in 1992. Similar to Paeonia rockii, the 5' tall Paeonia ostii has narrower leaves and is topped in very early spring (mid-April in NC) with over 100 large, 6-8" wide flowers. Paeonia ostii is unquestionably one of the finest peonies we've ever grown. Flower color ranges from white to pale pink, highlighted by a dark red central blotch and bright yellow stamens. Our plants are flowering-sized plants grown in the US. Interestingly, the 2004 publication, "The Genus Paeonia" says, "This is another recently established Chinese taxon that has not yet been introduced in the West." As we say in the South, "Some Beach"! Pot Size: 3 qt. (2.83 L)
We have long wanted to offer this incredibly vigorous selection from our friend, peony breeder Roy Klehm, but simply didn't have enough to share until now. Paeonia 'Belvidere Princess' has been one of the top performers in our peony heat tolerance trials since 2004, forming a huge clump, to 3' tall, topped in early May (NC) with over 36 flowers held on very sturdy stems...no staking needed. Each huge flower is composed of a double row of pink petals, highlighted by a central white ball of stamens. You've just got to see this to believe it...limited quantities. Pot Size: 3 qt. (2.83 L)
.jpg "Epimedium wushanense (Wushan Fairy Wings)")
.jpg "Paeonia 'Blaze' (Blaze Peony)")
.jpg "Paeonia 'Cora Louise' (Cora Louise Intersectional Peony)")
.jpg "Paeonia 'Pastel Splendor' (Pastel Splendor Intersectional Peony)")
