Mine is three years old. This year it's about a foot high (i thought it was dead last summer) with a few leaves and absolutely no sign of blooms. So i'm interested in an answer too - i'd hate to shovel prune the thing and then find out it takes six years to get going!

My neighbor planted one last year. It's alive, but it looks barely there this year.

Hello Pearl,

I have a tree peony for several years now. It bloomed last year for the first time. It came in pink though the label wrapped around the stem said orange! So I know that it was not correctly identified.
Last winter it saw a lot of die back and I donÂt see any buds this year.
I also tried the mix of tree peonies from Veseys. They grew but didnÂt survive the winter.
A neighbor a block away has two, which come back reliably each year. They never do get large.

Peonies the Imperial Flower by Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall recommends the following tree peonies for very cold sites (zones 3,4). Luoyang Hong (Luoyang red), Shan Hu Tai (coral terrace), Supreme Pink, Wu Long Peng Shen (black dragon holds a splendid flower.) In China tree peonies are traditionally planted in the eighth moon of the lunar year. All agree that spring planting is often a recipe for disaster.

I have been debating ordering from Veseys again and pampering through the first winter and still expect to lose some. The ones from Veseys are little bare root sticks. The alternative would be to order an established plant form a place such as Peonygarden.com. Not cheap! Brings to mind the "WhatÂs the most youÂd pay for a plant" thread. I think that I need more OT at work first.

Do not open the link if you have a weak will or weak heart.

Ian

Here is a link that might be useful: PeonyGarden

I don't know if the VISA gods were blocking it or not, but the link wouldn't open for me! :>

Hello Marcia,
I don't have any problem with the link.

You could copy and paste the following.
http://www.peonygarden.com/

Lots of luck
Ian

Thanks to all of you for the support and advice and a special thanks to Ian for the link to Peony Garden. I am still not sure what to do. My peony is supposed to be Shima Nashiki (the red-and-white striped one on the Peony Garden home page) but I don't know if it is or not. It is in a spot where it gets full sun from mid morning to early evening but I have considered moving it to a sunnier site...I am hesitant though, because it is alive and has survived at least 4 winters where it is. I am not ready to shovel prune (thanks for that, Marcia) but don't think I can wait much longer to see what colour the darn thing is. - Pearl

I haven't had any bloom yet on my tree peony. I do give it
winter protection by covering the entire plant with leaves each fall. (This gives the plant protection from the winter winds)... My tree peony has grown to about three and a half feet. I am hoping for bloom next spring.

Don't give up hope! My tree peony had one bloom this spring, and I planted it 5 years ago. The flower was a lovely shade of purple! Wonder if the seeds are viable?

Thanks strachan13 and digger ND2...I will hold on for now and hope for blooms in the next year or so. BTW:I emailed the gardener at Peonygarden.com and he replied to tell me that they can take several years to bloom even in ideal conditions...they also don't like being moved and like a lot of sun. Since I now have hope that it might bloom, I have done what I can to increase the sun where it is. - Pearl

I have had great success with Tree peonies.

Check out this post and photos at my blog below.

These trees grow massive roots underground in their first few years. If you think it isn't growin, it's probably all underground. Make sure you cover and mulch in winter.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mouse and Garden: Tree Peonies

Someone else here (Laurie?) has a tree peony they're waiting on. Mine has a bud this year! Just took a picture of it this morning. I can't wait to see what it looks like - it's been so long i've forgotten what i ordered!

Oh my goodness Marcia! You must be doing the happy dance right now!lol
Yes, I've got 2 tree peonies. They are going into their third year. One is about a foot tall, the other maybe 6". Maybe next year, with any luck, mine might bloom. At least I have some hope now. :0)

Preston, those are very nice! I guess the one or two zones warmer makes a big difference for you.

Marcia, wow that is exciting! Can't wait to see it when it blooms.

I had marvelous luck with a tree peony in zone 3. I bought it off ebay and can't remember the name. The last year I had it - I think it was around 4 then; it had 6 blooms. That year, we had our home re-sided and the contractors demolished it despite my efforts to protect it. I haven't had the heart to try one again...... I had it planted near the foundation of my home - eastern exposure. I did not have to provide any winter protection. Hope that helps.

Hey Marcia, how's that bud doing? I think I'm as excited about it as you are!lol

Laurie

Here it is! It opened on Sunday. I'd gone past the plant in the morning, looked at the still-tight bud and said to it, "Are you ever going to open?" Within a couple of hours, there it was!
{{gwi:760100}}

I really don't remember which one it's supposed to be. Maybe there's something in my records and if i ever find it, i'll let you know. Meanwhile, i'll just enjoy and hope for two blooms next year!

OMG, it's stunning! I love how the colour seems to fade out to the edge of the petals. Are the petals paper thin? They kind of look like it. And how's the scent? Thanks so much for posting that pic. If the colour changes on it in a few days, please post another one.
One of mine is looking really good and healthy this year and is about a foot tall. So maybe next year.

Laurie

The whole flower seems to be very sturdy. It still held together after all the rain last night. I'll be taking another picture today because it's open further. I gave it a good sniff on Sunday but couldn't detect a scent, which was disappointing. They're supposed to be scented, aren't they?

I thought they would be scented too, but maybe not all of them are? Maybe try smelling it at different times of the day?
Thank goodness the rain didn't demolish it.

I'm going to go home at lunch and stick my nose into it!!

Hmmm, there's a slight scent and it's really rather unpleasant. Luckily the flower makes up for it!