You catch the first warm breath of May, and there it is — a bloom the size of a dinner plate, butter-yellow petals unfurling in dappled light. ‘High Noon’ (*Paeonia suffruticosa*) is a large-flowered Japanese tree peony unlike anything in a typical garden: a slow-growing, woody shrub that reaches 5–6 feet tall and wide, lives for a century or more, and never dies back to the ground the way herbaceous or Itoh peonies do.
Plant it in partial shade — afternoon shade is essential — and keep its roots on the drier side. Tree peonies suffocate easily in wet soil, so avoid sprinkler zones and water only when the soil is dry 4–6 inches below the surface. Fertilize with composted manure in spring and fall. Hardy in zones 4–9, blooms April–May with a light-to-medium fragrance, and pollinators love it.
Shipped as a 2–3 year old bareroot plant, already bloomed, currently 10–29 inches. Next availability: fall 2026 — worth the wait.
🍂 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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