Run your fingers along the woody stems of “Youthful” (*Paeonia suffruticosa* ‘Qing Chun’) and you’ll understand immediately why Chinese gardeners have treasured tree peonies for centuries. Unlike herbaceous peonies that disappear underground each winter, this shrubby beauty keeps its woody framework year-round, eventually reaching 5–6 feet tall and wide — a living presence in your garden for a hundred years or more.
Each May, expect dinner-plate flowers stretching 6–8 inches across with a light to medium fragrance that draws bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects naturally.
**Care at a glance:**
Plant in partial shade with afternoon protection — full sun will scorch the foliage. Water deeply but infrequently; always let soil dry several inches below the surface before watering again, and avoid wetting leaves to prevent botrytis fungal wilt. Feed with composted manure in spring and fall. Hardy in zones 4–9. Slow-growing from China. Ships as a 2–3 year old bareroot plant, 10–29 inches, already bloomed.
A rare large-flower tree peony worth every patient moment of waiting.
🍂 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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