Peonies are outrageously beautiful in bloom, with lush foliage. They bloom from late May through June in Toronto.

Peony is named after Paeon, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. They are also the 12th anniversary flower. The peony symbolises honour, fortune, and a happy relationship. It is the state flower of Indiana.

No wonder Marco Polo described Peonies, when he first saw them, as: Roses as big as Cabbages. Their stems are not strong enough to support the heavy blossoms, hence they need support. Peony cages are placed in spring around the plant as they grow.

Peonies – native to China – Chinese name for the peony is Sho Yu meaning Most Beautiful.

Peonies of three types grow in our garden- Tree Peonies, Herbaceous Peonies and Itoh peonies.

Herbaceous peonies (also known as bush peonies) die to the ground in Winter. They re-emerge in March, or when the snow melts. Many find that they are deer resistant, but not always. Peonies are long lived, minimal care plants.

Tree peonies with their woody stems that t defoliate in the fall, but the woody stems stay intact, above the ground. They tend to bloom earlier and with larger flowers than the bush peony.

Itoh or Intersectional peonies are a cross between the herbaceous (or bush) peony and the tree peony. These crosses have produced new, exciting colors. The plants have the lovely leaf form of the tree peonies, but die to the ground in the Winter.

Itoh Peonies derive its name from Japanese horticulturist, Dr. Toichi Itoh, who successfully created seven peony hybrids from a tree peony bred with an herbaceous peony. Dr. Itoh passed away before ever seeing his creations bloom. Years later, American horticulturist, Louis Smirnow bought some of these original Itoh peonies from Dr. Itoh’s widow and continued Itoh’s work.

Peonies come in yellow, red, pink, and white colours and there are neither blue nor black peonies. Peonies can live up to a hundred years.

The irony with peony flowers is that the flowers last only two weeks and if there is a shower, even lesser.