Paeonia lactiflora Louis van Houtte

From huge, ruffled flowers to simple, modest corollas lit by a cluster of golden‑yellow stamens, peonies' charm is undeniable. Even a novice recognises a peony at first glance by its deeply divided foliage and its exceptionally large flowers in shades of pink, white, red or salmon. No wonder it is nicknamed "the queen of the garden"! <strong>The genus is being refreshed with new cultivars featuring sturdier stems, novel hues — brighter, even fluorescent — <strong>foliage that lasts longer, an extended flowering period</strong> stretching from mid‑April to mid‑June, <strong>and greater ease of cultivation</strong></strong>. <img class="size-full wp-image-56587 aligncenter" src="https://www.promessedefleurs.com/blogwp/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/pivoine2.jpg" alt="paeonia" width="1172" height="780" /> Today three categories of<a href="https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/perennials/perennials-by-variety/paeonia-peonies.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> peonies</a> are distinguished: <ul> <li><strong>very hardy herbaceous</strong> peonies, dying back in winter,</li> <li>the <strong>shrubby type, forming a bush very gradually</strong> 1 to 2–3 m high, with large flowers,</li> <li><strong>peonies</strong><a href="https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/perennials/perennials-by-variety/paeonia-peonies/itoh-peonies-intersectional-peonies.html"><strong> Itoh</strong></a>, hybrids between a herbaceous peony and a shrubby peony. These behave like very hardy perennials, dying back in winter, and, like tree peonies, bear large flowers in rather unprecedented shades of peach, cinnamon, apricot or canary and finely divided leaves carried on rigid stems that do not need staking.</li> </ul> <strong>In the garden, peonies prefer open spots that are not too scorching and are extremely hardy</strong>, the herbaceous peony in particular can tolerate temperatures below -50°C <strong>! It prefers heavy, rich, cool but well‑drained and slightly alkaline soils</strong> <strong>while the shrubby peony favours more humus‑bearing, light, rich and cool soils</strong>. Itoh hybrids are also very hardy, simply dislike waterlogged soils, appreciate partial shade and have sturdy stems that do not buckle under the weight of the flowers.