I have done business with Klehm's for many years and have no complaints. The advantage of buying tree peonies from them is that they are potted and can be shipped at any time during the season. If you buy bare root, you're pretty much limited to Fall shipping.

Banquet is a nice red. It's a bright strawberry red with no blue tones. Yachio Tsubaki is a pretty cotton candy pink.

My favorite peony is an intersectional named Bartzella. It's yellow, so not what you're looking for.

Karen

I ordered some plants both from Forest Farm and Klehm's this year. Not tree Peonies though. 3 plants from Klehm's were healthy overall, but all of them were extremely root bound and had insect damage. Forest Farm's plants were very healthy. Tube ones are kind of small, gallon size are nice.

I ordered 2 Tree Peonies from Garden Crossings using their end of the season 30% off sale. I was very pleased. Much larger plants than I expected for the price (about $16 after discount). Since they are not on their web site any more, I guess they offer Tree Peonies for fall shipment only.

Check out this site also. It has very good reputation and huge selection of both Japanese and Chinese TP.

I've never ordered peonies from Garden Crossings, but I've ordered a lot of other stuff. They send wonderful plants. I have no reason to believe that their peonies would be any different. I highly recommend them.

Here is another source of nice tree peonies. It's been a number of years since I've ordered from them, but was very pleased with what I got.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nature's Promise

Any tricks to growing these beauties? I tried a couple about three years ago and it was a no-go. They up and died on me in the first year.

So where do you have them? What's their zone requirements? Sun, shade, soil type? Oh, do tell!!

I am pestered with deers and this is one plant they don't like. Perennial Peonies have done well and I am expanding the repertoire on the property.

Just starting to clear out a small meadow which measures 40 feet deep and 100 feet wide. The soil is really 'peatty', and we are snuffing out the underbrush and roots which are there with lasagna composting/layering about 2 feet deep. Of course, this 2 feet will disappear to inches by next year. It's a full sun area in some spots, and dappled shade in others, and full shade in other parts. It's at the top of a small hill and gets the full force or the winter nor'easters... What do you think? Plausible?

I've read different opinions on this. but I'm convinced that tree peonies, like their herbaceous relatives, prefer fall planting and transplanting. I have 6, of various ages and colors, and don't have a clue what varieties they are, as I bought them before I knew I cared about names. They have all done well but have become crowded and, as the shade from nearby shrubs and trees gets denser, they are more susceptible to fungus infections. So, I'm moving them into a more open, sunnier spot. I moved one last fall, and had hoped to move 3 more this season, but ... oops, I forgot to save the space for them. Now I'm going to have to wait for next fall.

They are certainly wonderful plants! Having several varieties really helps keep the flowers coming, so, aside from the color you might want to read up on the flowering times of any specific varieties that you like.

Tiffy,
Your new bed should work (except shady part). One thing you should know about Tree Peonies: if they are grafted, you have to plant them deep. Graft union has to be at least 4-6" below surface and deeper is better even if this means almost entirely burying the young plant. Your TP needs to grow its own roots above graft union to thrive. Also, if you will see suckers (sprouts from the herbacious rootstock) you have to remove them.
Winter winds should not be a problem. TP are very hardy and completely leafless in winter.
I'm convinced that drainage is very important. I lost one potted TP to rot.
Good luck!

I ordered herbaceous peonies from Klehms in the distant past and my impression was that they were pricey though the selection was good.

One place that is very well known in peony circles is Reath's Nursery which is in the UP of Michigan. They have a great selection of tree, herbaceous, and intersectional peonies. I have a friend who has been there and has ordered from them (I never have) and swears by them. Prices may be a little better too since it is a smaller family place (though I understand they have acres of peonies). I am going to get a couple of the intersectional yellows to try out and I think I will probably order from them

David

Here is a link that might be useful: Reaths Nursery

Thanks Alina! My biggest fear was probably the wind, but that seems not to be an issue.

The place I will order from will most likely be Vesey's in PEI Canada. They've done well by me in the past. I just received some Allium and Daff bulbs from them as well as Ostrich Fern roots and herbaceous Peonies and they were in wonderful shape! The tree peonies they have are on their 'own roots' so that should be great.

Again, thanks for the response!

Tiffy.

Tiffy,
The Vesey's pictures and descriptions of their TP suspiciously remind me of Van Bourgondien ones. They also have these coupons "deals" of VB. I suspect that Vesey's either affiliated with VB or receive their Tree Peonies from the same source. If so, their TP are:
1. Grafted. Like a vast majority of TP on the market.
2. Extremely dehydrated bareroot sticks 8" long (including herbaceous rootstock) with 1-2 eyes if you are lucky (and well dead if you are not). They are imported from China. You will probably receive a touching note that they are dormant, not dead.
Been there...
If you do not need a huge selection offered by professional growers mentioned above, you can buy same varieties from Garden Crossings or Forest Farm.
For comparison, you will get healthy POTTED 2 year old plants with 2-4 eyes from Garden Crossing for about the same price as from Vesey's.
Just a thought.

Thanks, all!

David - I'm going to order a catalog from Reath's, thanks for the heads up on that. (Plus, hey - I'm always up for a weekend trip, and you know we gardeners will gladly pile in the car and drive hours on end to get what we want LOL! I have a couple gardening buddies that may be up for the drive).

Save room in the car for plants too! ;-)

I agree about checking bloom times. None of my peonies bloom at the same time as the others, which is OK with me, but not if you expect a huge shot of colour all at once..

Wanted to grow my first Tree Peony this year. Glad for the posts above, but wanted to update as follows (as of 3/08):

Garden Crossings does not sell Tree Peonies
Natures Promise link took me to a site selling Native American drums
Reath's Nurseries was more expensive than Klehm's Song Sparrow for the varieties I was interested in
TreePeonyGarden.com was the most expensive of all the sites I looked at.
I think I'm going with Klehm's. I've only ordered Magnolia trees from them before, but these were exceptional, and their customer service was terrific.
Good luck everyone!

Cityncountry, I'm glad you're going to go ahead and try a tree peony. I believe that, like me, you'll be hooked on them in no time.

I picked up a 'Feng Dan' on impulse at HD late one season and have been very pleased with it. It is not, so far as I know, a fancy variety, but the blossoms are lovely in early spring and it seems hardy as can be ... with leaf buds often just beginning to unfurl as early as February here along the New Jersey shore. I used to panic and protect it with a tipi of clear solar pool cover (which I'd have to remove during the day, of course, then replace at night) ... even putting some jugs of water in there to help with the temperature. This year that tipi was just too far back in the shed for me to access, so it was do or die for Dan ... and it's fine.

Aside from having provided an ever-increasing number of blossoms every spring, this plant, for a small investment, has given me the courage to one day try a more expensive variety.

FYI, our soil is very sandy, amended with homemade compost, shredded leaves and mushroom compost. Light conditions are mostly dappled shade with periods of full sun.

Good luck and please keep us posted!

For a first Tree Peony, I recommend 'Hana Kisoi', from any source. I grew it in Kansas zone 5, and I grow it here in Nevada zone 7. When I spoke to Mr. Hollingsworth (a noted peony hybridizer) some years ago, and mentioned that I'd been successful with 'Hana Kisoi' so far, his comment was that 'Hana Kisoi' is "idiot-proof". It's also quite lovely. You can sometimes get it in the cheapie box plant selections.