Peony Flower

The peony flower is what usually attracts attention first. It is large, even huge, from 3" across to 7" across. Tree peonies may have even larger blossoms, but theirs do not require staking, due to having woody branches. In some cases, the first introduction to the herbaceous peony is when the bright red tips push up through the ground in late winter. But once past this marvel, the new acquaintance of the peony waits to see what will happen with this ambitious explorer.

Several forms of the peony flower have been cultivated over time. These include the Single, Semi-double, Japanese, Double, and Anemone. The peonies within these forms are available in an unimaginable spectrum of colors, almost everything except blue. A so-called black peony is said to exist, along with pink peonies with a blue tint, a lavender peony, and reddish-purple peonies, but no real blue that experts can seem to agree on.

All peonies display five or more large outer petals, called the guard petals. Single flowers have a center of pollen-bearing stamens. Doubles have centers that have been transformed into another row of broad petals. Semi-doubles are a mix of pollen-bearing stamens and those broad petals in the center. Sometimes included with the semi-doubles, the anemone may have more than one row of outer guard petals that surround a center looking like very thin, petal structures. Japanese form is similar to the anemone type but their centers have staminodes that produce no pollen.

The peony flower may not appear

If the plant is too young, the peony flower may not appear for the first couple of years. Also, if a small division is planted, flowers may not appear the first season. Other environmental issues may be: not enough hours of sunshine, poor soil or nearby trees, roots standing in water, or planted too deeply.