15 Gorgeous Peonies

Our guide to favorite varieties in pinks, reds, yellows, and more

'Bartzella' Itoh hybrid peony
Bright yellow double blooms have a spicy scent. Stems are sturdy and foliage is lush and dark green.
A new introduction, 'Bartzella' is especially vigorous, blooms in late spring, and grows 2½ to 3 feet tall and wide.

'Blaze' Herbaceous peony
With ruffled red petals around a yellow center, these single blooms resemble fluffy bowls atop erect stems on a 2-foot-tall and 2½-foot-wide plant.
Grow it behind spring bulbs or as an accent in perennial borders (blue-flowered Campanula glomerata makes a pretty companion). Bloom time is mid- to late spring.

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'Bowl of Beauty' Herbaceous peony
Bowl-shaped, fuchsia-pink blooms have tufts of creamy white petals in the center; the fragrant flowers start opening in midspring on plants 1½ to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.

'Buckeye Belle' Herbaceous peony
A semidouble variety with velvety, dark red blooms atop sturdy stems, this stunner makes a showy cut flower. It grows 1½ to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.

'Cora Louise' Itoh hybrid peony'
Fragrant, white semidouble blooms open to show off their deep lavender-pink markings around yellow centers.
The plant is especially vigorous, producing up to 50 blooms in a season (starting in late spring), once established. It grows to 2½ feet tall and 3½ feet wide.

'Festiva Maxima' Herbaceous peony
Huge, pure white double flowers with vivid crimson flecks make a showy bouquet in a white ceramic vase. They're fragrant too. The plant grows to 3 feet tall and wide and blooms in mid- to late spring. It's one of the best for mild coastal climates, but it can't take inland heat.

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'Going Bananas' Itoh hybrid peony
Yes, you'll go bananas for these huge, deep yellow semidouble blooms with a slightly spicy scent.
They're eye-catching in beds of blue and white flowers, with a spritz of lime foliage. The plant blooms in spring and grows 2 to 2½ feet tall and wide.

'Kansas' Herbaceous peony
Huge double blooms of rich carmine red top bold stems; the blooms, which start appearing in mid- to late spring, are striking in bouquets (try them with clusters of blue-flowered forget-me-nots). The plant grows 1½ to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.

'Karl Rosenfield' Herbaceous peony
Ruffled, red double blooms look like fluffy petticoats in full swing. You'll want to really show them off. Plants bloom in mid- to late spring and grow 1½ to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.

'Kopper Kettle' Itoh hybrid peony
Copper orange semidouble blooms occasionally streaked with yellow are head-turners, especially as they open to reveal deep copper centers.
Surround 'Kopper Kettle' with sky blue forget-me-nots for a refreshing warm-cool contrast, or grow it in a cluster of three with a Tuscan terra-cotta olive jar as an accent.
The vigorous plant blooms in late spring and grows about 2½ feet tall and 3½ feet wide.

'Lady Orchid' Herbaceous peony
Soft lavender-pink double flowers are lightly fragrant; they bloom in mid- to late-spring on plants 2½ feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. Surround them with sky blue forget-me-nots for a fresh spring look.

'Madame Emile Debatene' Herbaceous peony
Tufted pink centers crown these double flowers, great for cutting. The plant blooms in mid- to late spring and grows to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.

How to grow peonies

'Raspberry Sundae' Herbaceous peony
Luscious pink double flowers with cream tones really do look like their namesake; play up their ice cream colors by surrounding them with companions such as Nemesia caerulea 'Compact Innocence' (white flowers) or 'Compact Pink'. '
'Raspberry Sundae' blooms in midspring and grows to 2½ feet tall and wide.

'Pink Double Dandy' Itoh hybrid peony
The lavender-pink semidouble blooms of this new-to-market hybrid are nothing to sneeze at: They measure up to 6 inches across atop strong stems.
As they mature, the petals slowly fade to soft pink. The compact, mounding plant grows 2 to 2½ feet tall and wide.

'Sea Shell' Herbaceous peony
Shell pink blossoms with large orange centers are very fragrant. And the graceful plant rarely needs staking―it's a good choice for beds and borders.
Bloom time is mid-spring; the plant grows 2½ to 3 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.

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