Fern Leaf Peony

The Fern Leaf Peony is perhaps the only peony that is less robust than the rest of the family. It is also smaller, usually growing no more than 18" high with a plant spread of only one to two feet. The plant is more rare than its relatives, with its two varieties Rubra Plena, and Itoba especially, often sought after by connoisseurs everywhere. Its leaves are delicate and resemble soft needles or ferns. Blooms are a bright and clear red.

This peony belongs in front of other plants in a border rather than against the fence where it might get overshadowed. The Fern Leaf Peony needs somewhat shallower planting, with the crown only an inch or so (less than two inches) below the surface. It likes fertile, well-drained soil that is maybe a little sandier than what other peonies thrive in, and full sun. Keep it watered but not soaked.

When the ground has frozen, mulching the "ferny" with two or three inches of straw for at least its first winter season is recommended, but this peony is an early riser. You'll have to watch for it poking up through the ground in early spring, so you can remove the mulch. In some areas it blooms right around Mother's Day.

Where the Fern Leaf Peony Grows Best

The Fern Leaf Peony needs to live in a zone where winters are cold to show itself off to best advantage when it blooms in the late spring. It is cold hardy to about 25 degrees below Fahrenheit. However, even the soft foliage will shrink and die off early if summers are unbearably hot, as they are in some areas.