You don’t often meet a plant that will outlive you — but “Red Crown Speckled Gold” (Hong Guan Sa Jin) just might. This rare Chinese tree peony (*Paeonia suffruticosa*) unfurls dinner-plate-sized blooms, 7–8 inches across, in shades of rich crimson with gold-dusted centers each May. Unlike the herbaceous peonies you may know, this one never dies to the ground. Its woody stems persist through winter, slowly reaching 6–8 feet tall and 5 feet wide over a lifetime that can stretch a century or more.
Give it dappled afternoon shade — full sun scorches its foliage — and plant the graft union at least 4 inches below soil level. Water deeply but infrequently; soggy roots are its one true enemy. Avoid sprinkler zones. Fertilize with composted manure in spring and fall. Hardy from Zone 4–9, tolerating -45°F to 113°F once established.
Ships as a 1–2 foot bare-root plant, already bloomed. Slow-growing, lightly fragrant, and genuinely worth the patience.
🍂 Shipping & planting window
Peonies ship in fall (September–November) when fully dormant and bare root. This is the only window we ship.
Fall planting gives roots a full season to establish in warm soil before winter. Cold stratification triggers strong, healthy spring growth and reliable bloom production. Spring-shipped peonies experience root damage during active growth, transplant shock during their bloom cycle, and often lose an entire growing season.
📍 Local pickup available year-round in Bellevue, WA.
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