What is the difference between a tree peony and a regular one?
The peonies that are most commonly seen in gardens are herbaceous perennials that die down to the ground each winter and sprout again the following spring. They usually grow to about three feet in height and are one of the longest living and easiest to maintain of all of the herbaceous perennials. It's not uncommon for one plant to live thirty years or more.
Tree peonies, on the other hand, are shrubs (not trees, despite their name) and, on average, grow to about six feet tall. They do not die down to the ground each fall like their herbaceous counterparts, but instead keep their branches from one year to the next. They should be pruned every year like any other shrub to optimize their shape and to remove any diseased or damaged branches.
Herbaceous peonies are readily found in garden centres in a variety of colours and flower classifications and tend to be reasonably priced considering what you’re getting for the money.
Tree peonies can be a bit harder to find and often carry hefty price tags, so they’re not the sort of thing gardeners tend to impulse buy. Still, this is one plant that it’s worth paying the big money for and if you invest the time to figure out which variety would work best in your garden and then shop around to you find it, you will likely be pleased with your purchase.
If you have any questions or comments, please send them to me at vanessa@gardenmuse.ca.
Originally published in the Creston Valley Advance on August 6, 2010.
