We have more than 100 different peonies in stock. Peonies have large, showy, and colorful flowers. They have captivated gardeners for centuries and led to intensive breeding efforts, first in East Asia, later in Europe, the USA, and Australia. Artists have chosen the peony motif again and again. Most recently, Erik A. Frandsen blessed us with a giant painting of a white, single-flowered peony in a vase, which can be enjoyed at Aldershvile Planteskole and can also be found in Crown Princess Mary's study at Amalienborg.
Peer Groups
Tree Peonies
Tree peonies, which are woody shrubs up to 2 meters high and with beautiful colors from white, pink, red and purple, and various yellow, orange color combinations, single, double with scent and without scent. Subgroups represented in the nursery are lutea hybrids, rockii hybrids and Japanese suffruticosa hybrids.
Herbaceous Peonies
Herbaceous peonies are 50-120 cm tall and come in colours ranging from white, yellowish, pink, rose-red, orange to dark red/purple to almost black. They can be full, semi-double, single-flowered, with or without fragrance. Subgroups in the nursery include silk peonies (lactiflora hybrids), common peonies (officinalis), and wild species with their hybrids.
Among European peonies, the common peony, Paeonia officinalis, is the best known. Most wild species are found from the Balkans and the Caucasus across the Central Asian republics to East Asia, both within tree and herbaceous peonies.
Itoh Hybrids
An important new group, the ITOH hybrids, is represented in the nursery. In the 1980s, a Japanese peony breeder succeeded in creating a cross between tree peonies and herbaceous peonies. This "species hybrid" proved to have the best characteristics from both parents. This phenomenon is called heterosis or "hybrid vigor". The "offspring" became new herbaceous peonies with beautiful and long-lasting foliage, beautiful flowers, single to double in colours resembling both traditional tree peonies and herbaceous peonies. The flowering period is quite late and longer than that of traditional herbaceous peonies. They do not die back early, but bear beautiful and lush foliage, often with lovely autumn colours well into autumn. The first ITOH hybrids emerged around the 80s, and prices were sky-high as demand exceeded supply. Now, more than 40 years later, things have balanced out and prices have become more reasonable.
Peonies in the garden
Location
Peonies thrive best in a bright, open location in sun or partial shade. The soil should be well-drained loam, preferably with clay. Peonies do not tolerate acidic soil and do not tolerate locations in very humid areas or areas with standing water.
Herbaceous peonies die back in autumn, and the withered foliage can advantageously be removed so that it does not provide winter shelter for fungi and pests. Tree peonies do not die back but can be pruned if they become leggy. Pruning is best done in autumn or early spring when new growth buds can be seen. Itoh hybrids (crosses between tree and herbaceous peonies) are treated like herbaceous peonies.
Planting
Herbaceous peonies are best planted as bare roots in autumn (October-November) until early spring. Autumn is preferable because the warmth in the soil gives the root a good start, so the peony gets an earlier start the following year. The root is planted just below the soil surface (max 2-3 cm deep), so the root is just covered by soil. The growth buds can stick out. Plant in good, well-drained, preferably slightly clayey loam, where the soil has been lightly loosened around and below the root. Avoid acidic soil, very moist soil, and heavily fertilized soil.
Tree peonies on their own roots are planted in the same soil, and there are no special requirements for depth. Grafted tree peonies are planted so that the graft union (usually visible as a thickening where the scion is grafted onto the rootstock) is deeply buried, preferably 10 cm below the soil surface. The rootstock is always a different peony that will try to shoot up if it is too close to the soil surface. Peonies of the Delavayi and Ludlowii types are always on their own roots. Peonies of the Rockii type are sometimes on their own roots and sometimes grafted. Peonies of the suffruticosa and luteahybrid types are always grafted.
Planting of potted peonies
Potted peonies can be planted all year round. Gently remove the pot from the plant and place it in the planting hole with loose soil around it, at the same height as it was in the pot. If the root ball breaks, it can interfere with or destroy an imminent flowering, but the peony can easily survive.
Planting peonies in pots
Herbaceous peonies are not well suited for planting in pots. They will look beautiful the first year but will gradually become smaller and eventually disappear. Tree peonies do well in a large pot. Ensure good drainage and attend to watering and possibly fertilization during the growing season.
Watering
Peonies are very drought-tolerant and only need watering under extraordinary conditions. In a dry spring the year after planting, it may be good to water, as the root has not had time to establish itself, but thereafter it is unnecessary in ordinary garden soil. It may be necessary to water tree peonies in pots.
Fertilization
Peonies require very little fertilizer. In good, humus-rich garden soil, it is rarely necessary to fertilize. If fertilizing, it should be done at the beginning of the growing season, and it is best to avoid fertilizing with a high nitrogen content. If you fertilize too much, the foliage will grow, and flowering will be reduced. You can tell if a peony is lacking nutrients if the foliage becomes pale and leggy. This can also happen in acidic soil where the peony cannot absorb nutrients. If you are unsure about the acidity of the soil, it is a good idea to add lime.
Moving and dividing
Herbaceous peonies can be easily divided and moved. This is done in autumn: Remove the foliage, dig up the peony, and if desired, divide it so that there are at least 5 eyes on each part. It does not matter if some of the roots break off, as long as the growth point and the root parts immediately around it are intact. Allow the cut surface to heal for 1-2 days and then rebury it in a different location than where it originally stood. If it is not possible to move the peony to a different location, the soil should be replaced with fresh soil in a 30-50 cm radius around and under the peony. This is to remove pests, fungi, nematodes, etc.
It is always a good idea to divide a peony that is being moved. This will revitalize the peony and increase growth. The first year's flowers after division and replanting will usually be small and atypical because the root needs time to establish itself, but after 2-3 years, the new peonies will be fully comparable to the old one.
Tree peonies can be moved but not divided. If you wish to propagate your tree peony, it can be done by grafting, seed propagation, or by forcing a branch down to the ground and waiting for it to root.
Diseases and pests
Peonies are quite hardy, and even slugs avoid them. Peonies that are enclosed or in still air can easily get fungal infections. The fungus often attacks at the root collar or just below the bud, which turns black, while the stem collapses ('botrytis paeonia'). It is important to remove the affected parts quickly and dispose of them in the trash (not the compost), as the fungus is very contagious and can eventually kill the peony. Other types of fungi leave yellow, spotted, or curled leaves. In these cases, the affected parts should be removed, and the peony should ideally be isolated. This will rarely kill the peony but will disfigure it and return if the conditions around it (light, air, soil) are not changed. If the peony is weak and repeatedly gets fungal infections, it should be discarded.