You’ll smell “Hong Zhuang Su Guo” before you see it — a soft, sweet fragrance drifting from flowers that can stretch 6 to 8 inches across, dressed in layers of red and white that feel more like fabric than petals.
This is a true tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa), and it behaves nothing like the herbaceous peonies you may already know. The woody stems stay above ground all winter, so you’re never hunting for what you planted. Given time — and it has plenty, living a century or more — it grows 5 to 6 feet tall and wide, becoming a genuine garden landmark.
Plant yours in partial shade with protection from afternoon sun, in well-draining soil you let dry 4 to 6 inches deep before watering again. Overwatering is the primary cause of failure; treat it more like a Mediterranean shrub than a thirsty perennial. Fertilize with composted manure in spring and fall. Hardy in zones 4–9, it tolerates cold winters and hot summers with quiet resilience.
Ships as a 2–3 year old bareroot plant, already bloomed. Slow-growing, deeply rewarding.
🍂 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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