I've grown about a dozen different tree peonies here in 5a Iowa City for 10 years, with no protection and no problems, and in fact before that grew them in a previous garden in Cedar Falls, 4b, for 10 years. I think the main things with tree peonies are: 1. Patience, as it takes them a while to get their roots down 2. Forethought in placement, as you ideally will never move them; they don't like much competition, and ideally will get morning sun for flower production, but light afternoon shade to prolong the blooms.(Do as I say and not as I do on #2.)
Don

Jade,

I grow them as well, just outside of Davenport. I'm sure that Don would agree with me that they are an investment -- but well worth it. I about choked the first time I saw how much they cost -- WOW! However, every year since I bought the first one, I again say, "WOW!" many times each year. The blooms are truly spectacular but look at the foliage below. This baby packs a punch even when not in bloom. {{gwi:1000998}}

IronBelly

have any of you invested in a yellow tree peony and have you had good luck with it?

Yellow tree peoniesw grow as well here as any other color. If I were to have only one tree peony, and especially if it was to be in the yellow range, I'd invest some money ($65 or so) and get a Saunders or Daphnis hybrid.Go to a site like Song Sparrow, putting on a bib first to catch the drool. Gauguin, while only yellow-ish, is to die for. Dan can probably tell you a lot more about this than me, but some of the tree peonies have floppy flower stems so the flowers tend to hang down into the foliage. The Saunders-Daphnis hybrids as I recall are known for the most part for upright flowers-- Dan, does this trait come from the lutea species (which is where they get their yellow color)which these hybridizers were pioneers in using? As Dan showed above, the foliage is almost better than the flowers. They don't like being wet, they don't like competition from other shrubs or trees, they are expensive and slow, but oh my, when they bloom! I also think if I was going to invest in a pricey one, I'd only plant it in the Fall; you can get them in pots that theoretically allow you to plant in the Spring. I've never tried it and probably never will.
Don

Not too shaby foliage - Thanks! Gaugin is stunning.

The satin like petals look interesting to say the least.

I plan to grow worms till the fall, anyways, in my new space.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gaugin

Are diseases a problem with these? My peonies get black spot on the leaves every year. I don't know if it's because they are very close to a corn/soybean field or what.
The tree peonies are really pretty and I would like to try them.

Jade, the picture of Gauguin shows it's beauty, though I think it's computer-enhaced towards the red side; the actual flower has more intermingled buff and cream. Many of the Saunders, and especially the Daphnis hybrids named after Greek mythology, have this beautiful shot-silk intermingling of two or three colors, that I don't think is equaled in any other flower.
Deb, tree peonies do get the black spot, but it seems to be less of a problem than in the herbaceous peonies-more cosmetic. Picking up the dead leaves in the Fall is recommended, and I'll actually do it one of these years.Stem borer can also cause the occasional loss of a stem.
Don

Deb,

I really never have any problems with peony leaf spot -- more typical on herbaceous peonies. And here is why: I make my purchasing decisions based upon how the foliage looks in the fall.

I know that is exactly backwards from the way everyone else does it. Everyone notices a gorgeous bloom, falls in love, buys the plant and has it home before they realized what happened. This falls in line with one of the biggest misconceptions in novice garden designs. Everyone thinks that blooms make the garden -- THIS IS FALSE! Foliage makes the over-all garden design work; not the blooms. Blooms are just icing on the cake but first you have to have a good cake. Most perennials bloom for a short period but the foliage remains the entire growing season adding (or detracting) from the over-all design. I want great looking foliage to help display whatever else happens to be in bloom at any given time.

Can you see how the above pictured foliage could add grace to whatever is blooming around it? It does. This is a great piece of "cake". During the week or two that the "icing" appears, the combination is stunning. After the blooms are gone, the foliage continues in a supporting role with all the other plants in the landscape. Can you say the same for your ratty looking peony foliage?

Especially with herbaceous peonies and astilbe, I have learned to concentrate on selecting cultivars that maintain great looking foliage all year long -- the blooms take care of themselves. I just take the advice so often given for crab apple trees: select disease resistant varieties. The problem with peonies is that information is never given. You just have to observe in the fall.

IronBelly

Here is a link that might be useful: Peony Leaf Blotch

What a good piece of advice, IronBelly. I plan to adopt it immediately.

Trish
Bettendorf

what is the name of the peony place near cedarrapids area has all different peonies? Dessa from Tipton

The Peony Garden of Center Point. See their website:
Don

Here is a link that might be useful: The Peony Garden of Center Point

I currently have two tree peonies. I think I paid 6 bucks a piece for them at a farm store up near Waterloo. Both are thriving and put on a great show. I also have them planted under Black Walnut trees (this is why I only paid 6 bucks for them. ;)) I have probably 50 or 60 herbacious peonies, but I have to admit that the tree peonies are really spectacular when they are in bloom and their foliage looks great all the time. More tree peonies are in my future! ;)

The Peony Garden up near Center Point is a great place to visit. The folks that run it are really nice people. I can't say enough good things about these folks. :)

Diann