You’re looking at one of the most quietly extraordinary plants you can grow in the Pacific Northwest — “Zi Guan Yu Chi” (literally “purple crown jade wings”), a large-flowered Chinese tree peony (*Paeonia suffruticosa*) that produces dinner-plate blooms 7–10 inches across in shades of rich purple, with a light to medium fragrance that stops you mid-step in May.
Unlike herbaceous peonies that disappear underground each winter, this woody shrub keeps its structure year-round — eventually reaching 5–6 feet tall and wide — and can outlive everyone in your household by a century or more. The shipped plant is 2–3 years old and has already bloomed, so you’re not starting from scratch.
Plant it in partial shade with afternoon protection; full sun will scorch it. Water deeply but infrequently — let soil dry 4–6 inches down before watering again, and keep it well away from auto-sprinklers. Feed with composted manure in spring and fall. Hardy in zones 4–9, drought tolerant once established, non-toxic, and thornless.
This is a generational plant. Treat it well and it’ll outlast the garden itself.
🍂 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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