Before the first bloom opens in May, you’ll catch the faintest sweet fragrance drifting across the garden — a quiet signal that Dou Lu, the legendary “Green Peas” tree peony, is doing exactly what it was born to do.
Unlike herbaceous peonies that disappear each winter, this rare Chinese tree peony builds permanent woody structure, eventually reaching 6–8 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Mature flowers span 7–8 inches across in soft green-white tones that feel genuinely unusual in any garden. Established plants are drought tolerant and cold hardy to -45°F (Zones 4–9).
Give it dappled afternoon shade — full sun will scorch the foliage. Water deeply only when soil is dry 4–6 inches below the surface; consistently wet roots are the primary cause of failure. Plant the graft union at least 4 inches below soil level. Feed with composted manure each spring and fall.
Your ships as a 2–3 year bareroot plant, 10–29 inches, ready to establish before its first bloom with you. This is a century-long relationship worth starting right.
🍂 Shipping & planting window
Peonies ship in fall (September–November) when fully dormant and bare root.
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.
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