Peonies, whose species differ in bud color and shape, are able to amaze even the most sophisticated flower growers with their diversity. They are one of the most beloved plants that are used for landscaping garden plots and cottages. In the world today there are up to 5000 different varieties. At the same time, more and more new ones are bred every year by breeders.
Peony: plant description
This is a herbaceous perennial plant of the peony family. A little less often you can find tree-like subshrubs and shrubs. Plant height - 30-150 cm. All types of peonies are valued for their beautiful appearance. The bushes are covered with large and luxurious flowers, the beauty of which is successfully emphasized by juicy green leaves. Peonies can decorate absolutely any site. All varieties of peonies are used for single and group planting in mixboders and on lawns. In addition, they are grown for cutting.
Herbaceous peonies
These are perennial plants with powerful bushes with many erect simple stems. Height -60-120 cm.
Herbaceous species of peonies differ in the type of flowers, height and shape of the bush, flowering time, presence or absence of aroma, color and shape of leaves, stability of peduncles.
The aroma of peonies is quite diverse. Many varieties resemble the smell of roses, lily of the valley, lemon, lilac, linden, honey or jasmine. Milky-flowered peonies have a pleasant aroma, from which many hybrid peonies have inherited it. There are varieties with a sharp, unpleasant odor (for example, plants with coral flowers). Medicinal varieties have no odor.
Early peonies bloom from early to mid-June, medium - in the second half of June. Blooming late peonies - from June 28 to July 10.
Depending on the structure of the flowers, the herbaceous peony is divided into five groups:
- Non-double (simple), having 5 or more petals arranged in one row.
- Terry (rose-shaped, half-rose-shaped, spherical, crowned varieties of peonies).
- Semi-double.
- Anemones.
- Japanese.
The color of the buds can be a variety of shades: red, white, pink, yellow, purple, ruby, etc.
Types of herbaceous peonies
The most important for floriculture are these types of peonies, which amaze with a variety of colors and shapes:
- Pion Thin-leaved. His homeland is Asia Minor, Central Europe and the Balkans. Plants have a height of 20-60 cm. The bush is very beautifully shaped, slightly spreading. The leaves are strongly dissected, openwork. flowers simple,not very large (10 cm in diameter), crimson. In the middle are yellow anthers. The aroma is very gentle. Flowering period - April-May.
- Medicinal herbaceous peony, whose homeland is Southern Europe. The height of the bush reaches 70-80 cm. The plant has dissected leaves growing from the ground itself. The flowers are dark red, ruby, odorless, 9-13 cm in diameter. Blooms in summer, early June.
- Wittmann's Peony. Homeland - Abkhazia, Western Transcaucasia. Bush up to 80 cm high with double- or triple-triple leaves, densely pubescent below. Flowers solitary, yellow-white or yellow, 8-10 cm in diameter. Stamens yellow. Peony blooms in May.
- Mlokosevich's peony. Homeland - Eastern Transcaucasia. Height up to 100 cm. The leaves of the plant are twice trifoliate. The flowers are pale yellow or yellow, wide open, 10-12 cm in diameter. Flowering occurs in May.
- Pion Milky-flowered. Homeland - Mongolia, Siberia, China. Height 60-120 cm, stems glabrous below, no leaves. Above the leaves are two or more flowers with a diameter of 8-10 cm, with white petals and golden stamens. The milky-flowered peony blooms from mid-June.
Depending on the height of the bush, they distinguish:
• undersized peonies - up to 60 cm;
• medium height - 65-80 cm;
• high - 80-150 cm.
The most common varieties of herbaceous peonies:
A la Mode is a white flower (up to 21 cm in diameter), in the center of which is a pompom of bright yellow stamens. Flowering is plentiful. Peony bush upright, height 80 cm. Early variety. There are up to 7 buds on the stem
Nancy is a flowerpeach-pink (up to 17 cm in diameter), very beautiful. The bush is upright, quite compact, densely leafy, up to 80 cm high. Early variety
Aritina Nozen Glory - lilac-pink flower (diameter up to 20 cm). The bush is quite beautiful, height up to 70 cm, leaves and stems are light green. Very early variety
America - a flower up to 21 cm in diameter, dark red, with bright yellow stamens collected in the form of a pom-pom. The bush has a rather beautiful shape, compact, its height is up to 75 cm. Each stem can have up to 4 buds. The variety belongs to the early ones
Growing
Herbaceous varieties in one flower bed without transplantation can grow up to 20 years. Caring for peonies is not too difficult, as they are famous for their unpretentiousness. They have been cultivated for many years all over the world. Flowering time varies depending on the variety. To extend the flowering period, several different plants are planted in the flower beds at once, so you can decorate the site for 1.5-2 months.
Terry herbaceous peonies
This is one of the most common and popular groups of peonies, which includes:
- Crown peonies, the flower of which has 3 tiers. The middle and lower ones consist of wide and large petals arranged in one row. The highlight of such peonies is a crown of small petals, which are collected in a ring. As a rule, all tiers of such flowers differ in their shade. A distinctive feature of the variety is large buds (20 cm in diameter). Most of them have a cream or pink tint.different intensity. Such peonies, whose variety names sound very aristocratic (Raspberry Sande, Top Brass, Duchesse De Nemours), are considered the most popular.
- Globular. Peony buds rounded. Bushes are most often medium-sized (up to 100 cm tall). The aroma of flowers is pleasant. The most popular varieties of this group are Monsieur Julie Elie, Alexandre Dumas, Red Charm, Pink Cameo.
- Semi-pink peonies. There are many stamens in the center of the flower. Most popular varieties: Ballerina, Goody, Illini Bell.
- Pink. The flowers are shaped like roses. Popular varieties: Henry Boxtos, Mrs. Roosevelt, Solange.
- Japanese peonies, whose flowers (20 cm in diameter) are distinguished by tenderness, elegance and lightness. Their petals are collected in 1-2 rows. In the center of the buds are narrow stamens, the color of which may differ from the tone of the petals. The bushes are medium-sized and quite compact. White flowers - Boo Ti, Kristin, Lotus Queen. Pink peonies - Kinsui, Largo, Westerner, Neon, Velma Atkinson, Rosellet; red flowers - in the varieties Charles Burgess, Barrington Bell, Nippon Parada, Akron, dark red - in Hot Chocolet, Chocolet Soulger, W alter Maines. Japanese peonies are considered the most fashionable today.
- Anemone peonies are distinguished by the presence of wide lower petals and short central ones collected in the shape of a ball. The size of the flowers is 14-16 cm in diameter. The buds are monochromatic or two shades. Anemone species of peonies have compact, medium height bushes. Flower growers are very fond of such varieties as Snow Mountain, Ruth Clay, Rhapsody. Flowers are transitionalform from Japanese to double peonies.
Semi-double peonies
These varieties are characterized by smaller flowers and rather compact bushes. The most popular peonies are Miss America, Sable, Cytheria, Lasters.
Flowers have several rows of petals (from 3 to 7) and many stamens. They can be located both in the center of the flower, in its middle part, and interspersed with the petals. The flowers are usually large, but light, the petals are rounded. Currently, semi-double varieties have become very popular.
Tree peonies
Flower growers in our country prefer to grow herbaceous varieties. But recently, tree-like peonies, which have been cultivated for many years in Asian countries, have begun to gain popularity. Flowers are of great variety and beauty. Today, breeders have bred more than 500 different types of such plants.
Tree peonies are perennial plants with lignified shoots. Every year the bush grows more and more. For successful wintering of plants, they must be securely covered with materials suitable for this, such as wood shavings, reeds, fallen leaves, spruce branches. Tree peonies in such conditions can survive even a very frosty winter.
Variety of tree peonies
Plants are divided into 3 main groups:
- Chinese-European peonies with double flowers. This group is distinguished by its large and heavy buds of the most diverse colors. Due to the heaviness of the flowers, the stems candroop, so the bush often requires additional support, which reduces the decorative qualities of plants.
- Hybrid peonies Yellow and Delaway, thanks to bright yellow buds, are the most popular.
- Japanese tree-like terry and semi-double varieties adorn light buds. Bushes of plants of a compact form. Popular varieties of domestic selection: Smolin, August, Moscow University, Hoffman, Maria, Anastasia Sosnovets, Marianna, Vladimir Novikov, Vadim Tikhomirov, Stefan, Peter the Great, Vorobyevsky, Sergey Uspensky.
Purchasing peonies for planting
Planting material for tree varieties of peonies is more expensive than herbaceous ones. This is due, first of all, to the fact that its cultivation requires much more effort and time. On sale you can find non-zoned peony seedlings, which were brought from abroad. When buying them, flower growers risk losing all the bushes after harsh winters. That is why it is recommended to give preference to domestic, more cold-resistant varieties. The most popular seedlings of peonies of foreign selection are: Green Jade, Gold Placer, Midday Heat, which amaze with the beauty and magnificence of flowers, but they do not differ in cold resistance. It is better to give preference to novice flower growers to herbaceous and tree-like peonies of domestic selection, such as, for example, Hoffmann, Peter the Great, Tatyana, Vorobyevsky, Muse.
The best varieties for home garden
Among the many varieties of peonies, there are those that are popular all over the world, for example:
- pink peonies- Sarah Bernard, Princess Margaret, Livingston, Natalie, Goody, Cornelia Shaylor, Neon;
- white peonies - George Nichols;
- red flowers - Helen Cowley, Red Rose, Red Grace, Diana Parks;
- peonies with dark pink outer petals and a creamy center - White Cap;
- double yellow peony - Bartzella.
Fragrant varieties
Such flowers attract not only with their decorative qualities, but also with their amazing aroma. These include: Corine Versan, Moon River, Casablanca, Cora Stubbs, Karina, Emily Olson, Edens Perfume, The Mikado, Neon, Nancy Nora, Vogue, Postilione, Philomena, Pink Partfait, America, Sarah Bernhardt, Coral Sunset, World, Mister Ed, Tom Eckhard.
ITO hybrids
Today ITO hybrids of peonies are in the greatest demand. This group of flowers is named after a Japanese scientist who first obtained seedlings by crossing milky-flowered herbaceous and yellow tree peonies. Among this group, Coral Sunset is considered the best variety, which has beautiful coral flowers. On sale there are new varieties of peonies-chameleons, which differ in the feature of changing the shade of flowers depending on its stage of blooming. Best varieties:
- cherry pink flower, after a while orange-peach - Julia Rose;
- yellow peony with red-violet splashes - Lollipop;
- red-yellow-orange peony - Koper Kate;
- dark pink peony, later turning cream - Hilary.
Peony planting
Plants in one place grow for many years,therefore, they must be provided with everything necessary. Landing is done in a sunny or slightly shaded place. A planting hole is dug 70x70 cm in size. A layer of soil with compost or manure is laid on the bottom.
You can also add superphosphate (100 g), potassium s alt or potassium magnesia (50-100 g), and add lime (100-200 g) to acidic soil. For good and he althy growth, copper sulfate (1-2 tablespoons) is added.
Favorable time for planting or transplanting plants - the period from late August to early September. It is also acceptable to replant the herbaceous and tree peony in the spring before the buds awaken.
The secret of planting is not to deepen the buds too much: this may stop the plant from blooming. The buds should be 3-5 cm from the soil surface.
Care
Caring for peonies is quite simple. It consists in regular loosening and weeding. In May, the peony (a description of the varieties is given above) is fed. Cutting is not difficult, but you need to remember that for good flowering next year, half of the green leaves should remain on the bush.
The most time-consuming work is transplanting well-rooted peony bushes, as well as dividing them. This activity will require brute male power. The soil around the plants is gently loosened with a pitchfork. Far-reaching roots are cut off with a sharp shovel, the peony bush is widely dug in.
Reproduction
Tree varieties of peonies are propagated by grafting,cuttings or seeds, but all these methods for beginner growers can give disappointing results. It is better to stay on the traditional division of the bushes.
Diseases
On acidic and damp soils, peonies are often exposed to diseases such as gray rot, fusarium, wilt (sudden wilt of the stems). Leaves may develop rust or powdery mildew.
Price of planting material
The cost of peonies depends primarily on which group they belong to (herbaceous or tree-like). In addition, the price is affected by the shape, size and color of the flowers. The cost may vary depending on the degree of prevalence of the plant. The newest varieties tend to be the most expensive.
