You’ve never met a peony quite like this one. Run your fingers along its woody stems in February and you’ll understand why gardeners in colder climates fall hard for tree peonies — those branches hold their ground all winter, standing at least a foot tall even in the depths of a Pacific Northwest cold snap.
This rare red-flowering tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) is a long-lived woody shrub, not the soft-stemmed herbaceous type that disappears each fall. Originating from Japan, it grows slowly to 6 feet tall and wide, producing lightly fragrant blooms up to 7–8 inches across in April–May. Established plants are remarkably cold hardy (Zones 4–9, tolerating down to -45°F) and drought tolerant once settled in.
Give it dappled afternoon shade — full sun will scorch the leaves. Water deeply but infrequently, only when soil is dry 4–6 inches below the surface. Plant the graft union 4 inches below ground. Fertilize with composted manure in spring and fall. Watch for Botrytis in wet springs and prune out any affected tissue promptly.
Shipped as a 2–3 year old bareroot plant, 10–29 inches, already bloomed once and ready to flower again next spring.
🍂 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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