Bernadette Vangool
Saskatchewan Perennial Society
If you ever walked in an abandoned farm yard, one neglected for five years or more, one of the most likely perennials to have withstood the constant neglect is the peony.
When the Indian Head Nursery closed in 2012, a lot of perennials and peonies were dug out by gardening enthusiast, yet today, you can still find peonies along some of the buildings, as well as in the area where the perennial gardens were located. I also found some peonies in bloom at my mother in law’s place, long after she had moved from her farmyard into a memory care facility.
There are over 30 species of peonies (Paeonia), many of these have single flowers, with five or more petals. Species peonies were the breeding parents of the large flowered peonies we have in our gardens. In the last ten years, I have added some species peonies to my garden. They flower earlier in the spring and extend the flowering season in my front yard. Another benefit is that they are shorter in stature and have single flowers, which means that they do not require staking.
There are three types of peonies. Herbaceous peonies, also known as Chinese peonies or garden peonies, these are native to eastern Asia. Tree peonies hail from China and are not hardy on the prairies, and the Itoh peony which is an intersectional peony. The Itoh peony is named after Dr. Toichi Itoh from Japan who after thousands of failed attempts, was successful in 1948 with a cross between a yellow tree peony (pollen parent) ‘Alice Harding’ and a herbaceous peony P. lactiflora ‘Kakoden’ (seed parent). This cross produced 37 seedlings. Unfortunately, Dr. Itoh died before any of his seedlings actually flowered.
In China, peonies have been cultivated for centuries. In the early days they were used and cultivated for medicinal purposes. Ornamental plants were developed from these and started to appear in the Imperial Gardens. By the tenth century they were a common addition to Chinese gardens. Earnest cultivation in the west and extensive breeding started in France in the 1820s.
There are many varieties to choose from. Although peony roots are typically planted and divided in fall, if you purchase, or are given a plant, do get it into the ground as soon as possible. Choose your planting spot wisely, as peonies don’t like to be moved and may sulk for a couple of years after transplanting. Do not plant your roots too deep, new eyes should be just below the surface of the soil. Find a sunny spot, 6 to 8 hours of sunlight is ideal for good flowering, although the Itoh peonies will produce with less light.
Even though we are told to clean up garden debris in the spring rather than the fall, if at all possible do clean up the dead peony stems in the fall. This will curb botrytis or fungus growth which is prevalent in cold, wet spring years. The fungus spores overwinter on old plant debris. If you had any foliage problems during the year, discard the foliage in the garbage rather than the compost pile.
In spring as early as possible, ensure that all old foliage is removed and move mulch or leaflitter away from the base of the plant. Make sure not to disturb the buds. If your plant is young in its second or third year, you could spread some slow-release fertilizer at the base. (low nitrogen number). This will ensure good root growth. Mature plants usually do not require fertilizer.
If you grow peonies with large double flowers, make sure you have your peony rings or other stakes in place before they are actively growing. You don’t want to be struggling to get stems in place later. Itoh peonies have a long bloom time and generally can stand on their own.
Water your peonies around the base to prevent diseases such as powdery mildew. Mature plants are drought tolerant but can benefit from watering during dry spells. Any young perennials benefit from more frequent watering in the first couple of years.
If you are in the Regina area and would like to know more about growing peonies the Prairie Peony Society is having their 2026 Peony Show on Saturday, June 27, 2026 at the Regina Senior Centre, 2134 Winnipeg Street. Public viewing is from 1-5pm
This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/saskperennial) for a list of upcoming gardening events.
