Eric C Brown
PLSC 368 Plant Propagation
Spring Semester, 2002

Propagation of Peonies
Summary
 

 

 Peonies are one of the most beloved and longest living perennial flower. Their flowers range from exquisitely delicate singles to large and lush doubles and come in shades ranging from pure white to the deepest, darkest red imaginable. This extravagant display is produced every year, at the absolute peak of bloom in most gardens, regardless of the weather, because Peonies are among the most durable and trusted garden perennials. This paper will discuss general information, methods of propagation, and future needs that will lead peonies into future gardens everywhere.
Introduction
 
 

 
Few plants are as popular as the peony (Paeonia spp.) in American perennial gardens.  For centuries the peony has been the “grande dame” of flowers. Native to Eurasia and North America, peonies are renowned for their uniquely graceful shape.  Hardy perennials of both herbaceous and shrubby tree form, peonies continue to be one of the most popular flowers.  Peonies are grown in temperate regions for their showy single or double blossoms in shades of yellow, white, pink, and rose.  They traditionally bloom in late May and early June.  The herbaceous types show long lasting blooms, which are traditionally excellent for cutting.  The decorative foliage will endure well until the first frosts.  Five wild species all native to China account for a majority of the hybrids available today: Paeonia lactiflora, P. officinalis, P. peregrina, P. tenuifolia and P. wittmanniana.  The Chinese perfected the peony a thousand years ago; almost to the degree we know it today.
Most of the showy garden hybrids were derived from P. officinalis.  There are five recognized types of flowers:  Single, Japanese, Anemone, Semidouble and Double.
Methods of Propagation

 
 

 
Peonies may be propagated in several different ways.An unusual and uncommon method is by seed.It often takes 5-7 years to produce a flowering plant from seed.The time one invests in starting peonies from seed is justified by the disease free stock plant that will grow for many years.A well established, healthy root system in fertile soil may bloom as long as 50 years.The easiest and most popular method of propagation is division of the roots of established plants.Root division should take place in the fall when the plant is dormant.September is the best planting and dividing time for peonies in North Dakota.Roots set in September usually become established before the cold weather begins.A thick division of an old, established plant should not be expected to flower the first year after planting.The large clumps may be cut into sections containing 3-5 eyes (buds).These divisions should be set 1 - 2” below the soil surface.Deeper planting of the divided roots delays or inhibits flowering. 

Future Work Needed

From the gardener’s point of view, the most exciting news is that by careful selection of today’s cultivars, six to eight weeks of continuous bloom is possible.There are also more colors than ever before.The development of these new hybrids is hindered only by the fact that peonies are slow to propagate.By present methods it can take fifteen to twenty years for a new cultivar to become widely available.One solution may be tissue culture. But whereas other perennials are easy to propagate by the tissue culture method, peonies remain somewhat elusive.Research may lead in the direction of tissue culture method for propagating peonies.
 
 

References
Apps, Darrel, editor.Perennials.Hearst Books: New York. 1993.
Smith, Ronald C. “Popular Peonies!”.NDSU Extension Service Publication. Jan., 1994
Still, Steven. Manual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants.Stipes Publishing. Dec, 1993.
White Flower Farm Online Garden Catalog. Accessed 23 April 2002. http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/default.asp