Paeonia lactiflora Louis van Houtte

From enormous, frilly flowers to simple, modest corollas lit by a cluster of golden-yellow stamens, peonies' charm is undeniable. Even a novice recognises a peony at first glance by its deeply divided foliage, its exceptionally large flowers in shades of pink, white, red or salmon. No wonder it is nicknamed "queen of the garden"! <strong>Genus is being renewed with new cultivars featuring stiffer stems, unprecedented hues</strong>, brighter, even fluorescent, <strong>foliage that lasts longer, an extended flowering period</strong> spanning mid-April to mid-June, <strong>greater ease of cultivation</strong>. <img class="size-full wp-image-56587 aligncenter" src="https://www.promessedefleurs.com/blogwp/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/pivoine2.jpg" alt="paeonia" width="1172" height="780" /> Today three categories of<a href="https://www.promessedefleurs.ie/perennials/perennials-by-variety/paeonia-peonies.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> peonies</a> can be distinguished: <ul> <li><strong>very hardy herbaceous</strong> peonies, dying back in winter,</li> <li><strong>tree peonies, slowly forming a shrub</strong> 1 to 2–3 m high, with large flowers,</li> <li><strong>peonies</strong><a href="https://www.promessedefleurs.ie/perennials/perennials-by-variety/paeonia-peonies/itoh-peonies-intersectional-peonies.html"><strong> Itoh</strong></a>, hybrids between a herbaceous peony and a tree peony. These behave like very hardy perennials dying back in winter and, like tree peonies, produce large flowers in fairly novel shades of peach, cinnamon, apricot or canary and leaves finely divided borne on rigid stems that do not require staking.</li> </ul> <strong>In the garden, peonies appreciate open sites that are not too scorching and are extremely hardy</strong>, the herbaceous peony in particular tolerates temperatures below -50°C<strong>! It prefers heavy, rich, cool but well-drained and slightly calcareous soils</strong> <strong>whereas the tree peony favours humus-bearing, light, rich and cool soils</strong>. Itoh hybrids are also very hardy, simply dislike waterlogged soils, appreciate partial shade and have sturdy stems that do not bend under the weight of flowers.