“Golden pavilion” large flower Japanese tree peony

You’re looking at something genuinely rare — a Japanese tree peony (‘Kinkaku,’ meaning Golden Pavilion) that produces dinner-plate blooms stretching 8–10 inches across in shades of luminous gold. In May, when those flowers open, the fragrance is light and sweet, drifting through a shaded corner of your garden like something out of a centuries-old scroll.

Unlike herbaceous peonies, this woody shrub never dies back to the ground. Its stems persist through winter, slowly building into a 5–6 ft specimen that can outlive you, your children, and possibly your grandchildren — tree peonies are known to thrive for a century or more.

**Light:** Partial shade; protect from hot afternoon sun
**Water:** Deep, infrequent watering; allow soil to dry 4–6″ below the surface between waterings — overwatering is the primary cause of failure
**Hardiness:** Zones 4–9
**Mature size:** 5–6 ft tall and wide
**Bloom time:** May–June
**Fragrance:** Light to medium
**Current size shipped:** 10–29″, 2–3 year old bareroot plant

Plant the graft union 4 inches below soil level. Feed with composted manure in spring and fall. Watch for botrytis during wet springs; remove any affected tissue promptly.

This is the peony for patient gardeners building something lasting.