15 Beautiful Varieties of Peony

By
Jamie McIntosh
Jamie McIntosh
Jamie McIntosh
Jamie McIntosh has written about gardening and special occasion flowers for the Spruce since 2011. She has more than 20 years of experience caring for flowers and plants. She was a feature writer for Organic Gardening at Suite101, where she won awards for her writing.
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Updated on 03/04/21
Peony "Bartzella"

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

The peony is one of Mother Nature's loveliest oxymorons—it's fragrant and delicate yet tough as nails. When you plant one of these spring-blooming shrubs on your property, you should know it has an excellent chance of outliving you.

The Paeonia genus contains more than 30 species and hundreds of varieties, some of which have been in cultivation for thousands of years, originally in China. The peonies most commonly grown as garden plants fall into three categories. Herbaceous peonies are usually cultivars of P. lactifola or hybrid crosses that have P. lactifola as one of the parents. A special class of herbaceous peonies, known as fern-leaf peonies, are derived from P. tenuifolia. Tree peonies are cultivars of Paeonia suffruticosa. These are woody-stemmed plants. Itoh peonies, also known as "intersectional" peonies, are hybrid crosses between tree peonies and herbaceous peonies.

From elegant single-petaled varieties to exuberant "bomb" forms, discover 15 great varieties of peonies to grace your spring garden. 

Gardening Tip

Peonies need a good chilling in the winter, so it's a good idea to plant them so the top of the root crown is fully exposed to the air. Make sure these plants aren't heavily mulched in the winter.

  • 01 of 15

    Bowl of Beauty (Paeonia lactiflora 'Bowl of Beauty')

    Bowl of Beauty peony with pink blooms
    Georgianna Lane / Getty Images

    Many peonies are guilty of letting their showy blooms flop in the mud after a downpour, but not so with Bowl of Beauty. This anemone form of peony holds its single-petaled blooms aloft on strong stems, while the white filaments of the stamens appear as narrow petals, providing additional texture for bouquets. 

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–8
    • Height: 18–24 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full
  • 02 of 15

    Cardinal Vaughan (Paeonia x suffruticosa 'Cardinal Vaughan' )

    Cardinal Vaughan peony with fuchsia blooms
    Dorling Kindersley / Getty Images

    In contrast to herbaceous peonies, which die back to the ground in the winter, tree peonies maintain their woody stems throughout the seasons, providing structure and texture in cold months. The rich magenta purple of the Cardinal Vaughan is a standout in the early spring garden, and plants will mature to an impressive 7 feet over an eight-year period. 

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid; parent species are native to China
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–8
    • Height: 5–7 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
  • 03 of 15

    Reine Hortense (Paeonia lactiflora 'Reine Hortense')

    Reine Hortense peony with pink-tinged white flowers
    Georgianna Lane / Getty Images

    Reine Hortense is a color-shifting peony that captures the imagination. Is it white? Is it pink? This fragrant 1857 heirloom will change color as its flowers mature, giving gardeners something new to enjoy every day it blooms. 

    • Native Area: Central and eastern Asia
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–8
    • Height: 32–40 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
  • 04 of 15

    Joker (Paeonia lactiflora 'Joker')

    Joker peony

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    The fully double flowers of Joker peonies almost resemble giant carnations due to their attractive picotee edging. Add a companion planting of foxgloves and dianthus to achieve the perfect British garden design. Like most peonies, Joker needs a full day of sun—at least six hours—to achieve its blooming best. 

    • Native Area: Central and eastern Asia
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2–8
    • Height: 28–32 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
    Continue to 5 of 15 below.
  • 05 of 15

    Miss America (Paeonia lactiflora 'Miss America')

    Miss America peonies with yellow centers and white petals
    Dorling Kindersley / Getty Images

    Miss America may exhibit a hint of blush on early spring buds, but petals unfurl in pure snow white. This gold medal winner and heavy bloomer is also exceptionally hardy, bouncing back from zone 2 winters with no problem. Test your soil when planting peonies, and adjust the pH as needed to hit that sweet spot between 6.0 and 7.0 to keep these plants healthy. This variety has double flowers and won't require staking.

    • Native Area: Central and eastern Asia
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2–8
    • Height: 2–3 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
  • 06 of 15

    Fairy Princess (Paeonia lactiflora 'Fairy Princess')

    Fairy Princess peonies with yellow centers and red petals
    David C. Phillips / Getty Images

    The satiny red petals of Fairy Princess contrast beautifully with the conspicuous yellow flares on this herbaceous peony. This is a dwarf variety that deserves a premium spot on the edge of your spring border. A rich, loamy soil will help this peony be its most productive self. 

    • Native Area: Central and eastern Asia
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9
    • Height: 18–22 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
  • 07 of 15

    Pink Hawaiian Coral (Paeonia lactiflora 'Pink Hawaiian Coral')

    Pink Hawaiian Coral peonies with light pink blossoms
    Georgianna Lane / Getty Images

    What a glorious way to celebrate spring. The sunrise hues of Pink Hawaiian Coral helped it to earn the 2000 American Peony Society gold medal. Fast-growing and easy to grow, the plants benefit from grow-through supports to keep their heavy blossoms out of the mud after a rain. 

    • Native Area: Central and eastern Asia
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–8
    • Height: 32–36 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
  • 08 of 15

    Buckeye Belle (Paeonia x 'Buckeye Belle')

    Buckeye Belle peony with garnet flowers
    David C. Phillips / Getty Images

    Although introduced in 1956, Buckeye Belle has just recently gained popularity in peony circles, claiming the 2010 American Peony Society gold medal and the 2011 Peony of the Year award. Lustrous garnet petals are interspersed with gold anthers, which look stunning planted next to yellow columbines or tulips. 

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–8
    • Height: 18–24 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
    Continue to 9 of 15 below.
  • 09 of 15

    Prairie Charm (Paeonia x 'Prairie Charm')

    Prairie Charm peony with yellow petals
    F. D. Richards / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

    In performing your due diligence before investing in a long-lived landscape plant like the peony, it never hurts to put some award winners on your shortlist. In doing so, you might discover the Kansas City hybrid Prairie Charm, which won the Award of Landscape Merit in 2009. This lightly fragrant midseason selection has semi-double pale-yellow blossoms with red flares at the petal base. Out of bloom, the upright form and deeply divided leaves add interesting texture to the border. 

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–9
    • Height: 2–3 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
  • 10 of 15

    First Arrival (Paeonia x 'First Arrival')

    Peony "First Arrival"

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    As its name suggests, First Arrival blooms earlier in the season than most of the intersectional peonies in its class. The sturdy stems of this itoh peony will hold flowers fresh and aloft for two to four weeks, barring any storms or hot spells. It's the perfect shade of pink to complement your spring cottage garden, but give this shrub its own space so it won't have to compete for nutrients. 

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–9
    • Height: 2–3 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
  • 11 of 15

    Charlie's White (Paeonia lactifolia 'Charlie's White')

    Charlie's White peonies with creamy white blooms
    Georgianna Lane / Getty Images

    Row after row of crepe-like petals on Charlie's White beg to be touched. This tall variety is widely available and affordable, so plant several to ensure a bounty of neutral white blooms for all your bouquets. Cut these flowers just as the buds begin to unfurl for your spring flower arrangements. 

    • Native Area: Central and eastern Asia
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–8
    • Height: 32–40 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
  • 12 of 15

    Jean Erickson (Paeonia lactiflora 'Jean Erickson')

    Jean Ericksen peony with a scarlet center and petals
    Georgianna Lane / Getty Images

    A prolific bloomer, Jean Erickson makes a bold focal point in the midseason spring garden. The feathery deep-red petaloids in the center of the flower take up the bulk of its mass and make it a beacon to the season's first hummingbirds.

    • Native Area: Central and eastern Asia
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–7
    • Height: 32–38 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
    Continue to 13 of 15 below.
  • 13 of 15

    Pastel Splendor (Paeonia x 'Pastel Spendor')

    Pastel Splendor peony with pink petals
    Georgianna Lane / Getty Images

    An anemone-flowering type of peony, Pastel Splendor rewards gardeners who crave all shades of pink and fuchsia. As an itoh peony, it exhibits the complete die-back of a herbaceous peony but features the showy, deeply lobed leaves of tree peonies. 

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–8
    • Height: 24–36 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
  • 14 of 15

    Bartzella (Paeonia x 'Bartzella')

    Bartzella peony with buttery yellow petals
    Erhard Nerger / Getty Images

    A luscious lemon hue on an extremely vigorous plant helped Bartzella receive the 2006 American Peony Society gold medal. Gardeners impatient for young peony bushes to reveal their promise should take note of the fast growth of this itoh variety, which may produce 20 or more 6-to-8-inch flowers in its second year of growth.

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–9
    • Height: 2–3 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
  • 15 of 15

    Raspberry Sundae (Paeonia lactiflora 'Raspberry Sundae')

    Raspberry Sundae peony bloom with hues of cream and berry
    Leah Bignell / Design Pics / Getty Images

    The Chinese Raspberry Sundae has been gracing gardens since 1968. But don't let the festive pink bomb fool you: This plant is notoriously hardy and has even been known to survive in zone 2 gardens. Many creamy flares enhance the fullness of this flower. Just one cut bloom can be the star of your spring flower arrangement and will add fragrance, too. 

    • Native Area: Central and eastern Asia
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–8
    • Height: 30–36 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
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