early blooming peonies?

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Has anyone else in my zone got their peonies blooming already? I've got two Itohs -- Takara and Yumi -- that have started blooming. Takara opened her first buds a few days ago, and Yumi just today.

I only bought these last spring (as mature potted plants), so I don't know when they'd normally bloom around here. I was expecting to see them around mid-May. I know we've had an early spring around here, and I've got a couple of clematis blooming as well, but I'm curious about other people around the area -- and when I should normally expect these two to bloom!

Two pics taken today:

Featured Answer

lizbest1

9 years ago

There is another peony forum at www.garden.org that is much more active. Several members have pics of Itohs in Georgia and Tennessee blooming already, come over and check it out! Also several groups on Facebook associated w/peonies.

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Comments (9)

Amazindirt (7a TN)
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks!
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purpleisland
9 years ago
I also have 2 itoh peonies starting to bloom in zone 6A (Kansas City)- Callie's Memory (planted last Spring) and First Arrival (roots planted last fall). Sorry I don't have a pic of the First Arrival yet. I'm surprised at how early these are, as my Cytherea peony has not even bloomed and I thought it was supposed to be one of the earliest bloomers.

Callie's Memory
User
9 years ago
I too live in Kansas City and my plants, peonies and others have not been following the normal bloom date sequence. Since intersectional's have tree peony ancestry they will normally start blooming after the tree peonies. I have not been but the tree peonies at Linda Hall are currently blooming.
purpleisland
9 years ago
Maifleur - I'll be over near Linda Hall later today, so I'll have to take a look at their tree peonies. My young Yachiyo Tsubaki tree peonies bloomed in early April.
User
9 years ago
Most of mine are done. Oukan, Hephaestus, and High Noon are the only ones left. Remember the HPS sale is this fall. I need to get to Linda Hall before they are though blooming. My favorite is the one that is labeled as Old Man With Long White Hair. As the flower ages the edges of the petals split giving the appearance of hair.
purpleisland
9 years ago
Hi Maifleur- can you tell me what HPS is? I'd also love to see a picture of your Old Man With Long White Hair tree peony!
User
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
HPS is Heartland Peony Society. Has a sale every other year and this is the year. Normally they also have a spring trip but will not be having one this spring. They also have a speaker the years that they do not have a sale. They have a members only potluck dinner with auction following. Several breeders donate new not yet available plants or breeding stock to the auction which can get expensive. Last fall there were three breeders there each trying to out bid each other for plants they did not have. I have heard, not confirmed, that there will be some Japanese tree peonies as usual including some that have not been sold by the group before. Sadly because the board tries to keep prices low enough for the average person there are fewer growers that provide not commonly on the market plants cheaply enough for the sale.
User
9 years ago
No good bloom pictures of the Old Man with Long White Hair. One of those plants that just do not photograph well.