Peony
Best varieties: Sarah Bernhardt (double pink), Karl Rosenfield (red), Bowl of Beauty (bicolor), Bartzella (Itoh, yellow)
Easy
Perennial
❄️ Frost Hardy
🐾 Pet Safe
🌲 PNW Growing Notes
Long-lived perennial that blooms spectacularly each spring. Seattle provides perfect winter chill for bud development. Once established, peonies can live 50+ years with minimal care.
☀️ Light
Full sun (6+ hrs)
💧 Water
Moderate—regular during growth, less after bloom
🪨 Soil
Rich, well-drained, pH 6.5–7.0
📏 Spacing
36" apart
📅 Planting Timeline (Seattle)
🪴
Transplant Outdoors
Fall (Sep–Oct is ideal)
🌸
Bloom Season
May–Jun
💡 Pro Tip
Plant tubers with eyes (buds) exactly 1–2″ below soil surface—too deep and they won’t bloom. Support heavy blooms with peony rings.
🤝 Companion Planting
✅ Good Companions
Roses, Lavender, Iris, Alliums