Debbie in your climate full sun is too much for tree peonies. Look for afternoon shade or dappled shade. Your plant is transpiring more moisture than the roots can replace. This is especially true when the root system is only one year in the ground. You still have a lot of hot summer this year and I think you will need to move it. Herbaceous peony will take your heat but you should get them started in the fall so they have a chance to establish before next years temperature warms up. Al

I thought I might have to move it. The nursery said full sun, so that's where I put it.

How many hours of morning sun should I give it? I don't have much dappled shade. The two spots that have dappled shade are shady most of the day.

When should I move it? I thought to wait until it went dormant in the winter, but if it will just continue to burn to a crisp now, maybe I should move it sooner?

I intended on planting the herbaceous in morning sun, afternoon shade in my front yard. My only concern for them is the ugly die back of the leaves. Do you grow something in front of them that is short in spring when the peonies shine, then grows taller to hide the die off later in the year? Any thoughts on this?

Thanks so much for the help. I just love peonies but we're challenged growing them in the Bay Area.

Debbie

Debbie I don't think your tree peony can stand the hot sun for the next two months. If you cannot move it now drive four three inch wooden posts, ask for 'peelers' at Home Depot or Lowes and then staple 50% shade cloth over the plant. Tree peonies where you live can stand morning sun OK. Your herbaceous peonies like full sun about the same as most roses, with regular summer water. Peonies maintain their good looks after the bloom all the way through November for you and I. When the foliage(on herbaceous peonies)yellows about the first of December cut the stems down to about 4 inches. The stubs of stems left will protect the new buds forming for next years stems and flowers. These buds should be visible during the winter to get enough chilling for your peonies to bloom next year. Growing peonies successfully requires patience, especially in a marginal climate. Al

Thanks so much for the advice! I guess I know what I'm doing this afternoon. It looks even worse today than when I originally posted this. Great advice too on the herbaceous peonies. I really do want to make the peonies work since I just love them.

What types of herbaceous peonies have worked for you?

Debbie

Al in zone 9, please let me know which ones bloom well for you. I am new to zone 9, having been in zone 10, where peonies did not grow because it was not cold enough in the winter (?). Thanks!

Debbie I have grown many varieties and have not noticed any difference in their culture. The large double varieties especially will require a grid to prevent the weight of the bloom from taking the stem to the ground. About the third year the grids will be needed.

gardenerme with chilling hours of about 400 your herbaceous peonies will bloom, if you plant them high enough that the buds are exposed to air temperature during the winter. Soil over the buds will insulate them and cause inadequate chilling and no bloom. In every case I have checked with no bloom complaint the buds have been covered. Al

Al, the peonies I've bought have been in pots and flowered this year (I bought them in flower). I haven't looked at the pots to see how deep they are planted. I usually plant so that the level of the pot dirt matches the level of the ground, but that may not work if they're already planted two inches deep. Should I use my fingers and dig down to see where the buds will be? I don't want to break off next years buds, but maybe they haven't developed yet.

If I understand you correctly, I want to leave the buds open to the air.

They're going in my front yard, which is being redone in September, so I'll be planting them then.

Debbie

Debbie, The depth they are in the pot is not relevant. When you plant in the fall do NOT cut the foliage back, gently with a water hose wash the top of the soil back enough so you can see the buds. When you plant your potted peony in the ground the buds should still be visible. Your existing foliage will not yellow probably until the first part of December, until then it is providing carbohydrates feeding the roots. Your potted peonies that bloomed in the pots should bloom next spring if planted in compost rich well drained soil. Al

I would dig up the tree peony right now, put it in a shady location. I have one under a hickory tree, only gets late day sunshine, which is not as hot as yours. The other tree peonies are in shade during the mid day times, which was to protect the color in flowers.

I have moved my tree peonies in late summer, watered heavily, they lost leaves early, and been successful with new growth in spring. The heat is sounding pretty hard on it, so plant is losing any reserve energy and you want to have enough for it to save some up for next spring. Roots can grow even if top is not doing much. Keep the water coming if it is hot, don't allow it to get very dry.

Hope the recommends are helpful, I like my tree peonies in their new locations. Moving sounds best, though you might have to wait a year or two for flowers. They get happy underground, before they bloom for you.

Thanks for all the recommendations. I moved the sad thing last weekend to a site that gets about 3 hours of morning sun then full shade. It's on the drip irrigation every other day, plus I'm hand watering it on the hottest days too. Almost all the leaves are crisped and brown, but there are a few parts that are yellow but not crisp (perhaps a good sign). Once it's settled in, say in the fall, should I give it any fertilizer to help it recover?

If you planted in good rich soil it would not benefit from fertilizer. Debbie I hope you are not confused by the difference between tree peonies and herbaceous as your nursery apparently was. The herbaceous peonies need the high planting for meeting the chilling requirement the tree peonies do not. Tree peonies planted too high may have a problem with shoots from the roots and as most commercially available tree peonies are grafted the rootstock will produce a different plant. When your tree peony foliage yellows, if you have any green foliage by then, do not prune ANYTHING off. In the spring just standby and let the plant tell you what is alive. It may take several years for a tree peony IF NOT PRUNED AT ALL to reach three to four feet height. In the spring I would top dress the soil with compost. Al

Al's advice is right on target. Even in cooler climates it's best to have only morning sun on Tree Peonies because their flowers fade and die so quickly in direct sun. Even though tree peonies need less chilling, I find them more delicate and difficult to grow compared to their herbaceous cousins. The easiest to grow of all are the intergeneric hybrids (Itoh hybrids), which are basically a cross between herbaceous and tree peonies.

--Ron