A peony that grows in shade Peony obovata (Paeonia obovata) is a wonderful addition to a garden where you have bright filtered light. This is a woodland Peony species, so needs to be treated differently to other types/
It naturally grows in forested areas of Japan and China and it thrives in a humus rich soil and that strong filtered light of the forest edge.
It is not a tall growing species reaching only .4m – .6m in height and it is herbaceous, so it dies back to the ground in winter.
The flowers will be either roses pink Peony obovata or a crystalline white Peony obovata var. alba. This is plant that blooms in spring and the flowers are around 3 inches across, beautifully rounded or cup shaped.
The foliage lasts well after the flowers have faded, and attractive green to plum colour and is classed as bi-ternate. 9 leaflets on each stem.
The flowers are followed by a seed pod and then this opens to reveal glistening purple seeds against a the red inside of the seed pod. These fade to black seeds against a brown pod as they ripen. Any red seeds are usually infertile.
How to grow Peony obovata – Propagation
From seed it will take 3 – 4 years to produce a flowering plant after the seeds germinate.
- For good germination first Soak the seeds for 24 – 48 hours this is scarification.
- Then a period of warmth for 30 days
- After that, cold stratification for 90 days – The crisper in the fridge in a ziplock bag with some perlite or vermiculate.
- And then into the warmth again (warm stratification)
- You will see some signs of growth, a white shoot will emerge and that’s the first root.
- And then plant them out into pots.
If you don’t scarify and stratify the seeds they can take a lot longer to germinate, OR just rot. Don’t assume seeds have failed, sometimes, without proper treatment they can remain dormant for a year or two.
What do Scarification and Stratification Mean
Think about the seasons. The seeds drop to the ground at the end of summer and are dampened, so that’s the scarification.
And then they are exposed to a cold winter, so that’s a cold stratification.
And then spring they get some warmth, so that’s a warm stratification. And then they germinate.
Peony obovata – Pots and planting out into the garden
In our experience this is a plant that does not like hot direct sun, or indeed heat, so the cooler woodland setting is most appropriate.
- After the seeds have had their cold stratification you can wait until signs of germination or plant the seeds into pots.
Use a normal potting mix and plant the seeds 1 – 2 cm deep and at least 4cm apart or in individual pots for ease of division later on. - After the first summer you may decide to plant out the young plants, we prefer to give them 2 – 3 years in their own pots before exposing them to the wilds of the garden.
- Make sure the soil you plant into is humus rich and fertile and also well drained. Choose a position in part shade or at least with protection from hot afternoon sun.
- Mulch around the plants each spring.
Fertilise after flowering with a general purpose slow release organic type fertiliser.
What’s in a name?
Peony obovata
Paeon, physician of the gods so Peony.
Obovata, egg shaped, so oval or egg shaped flowers.
Alba means white.
So we have a white flowering peony with egg shaped flowers.
How do you say Peony obovata
pay-OH-nee-ah oh-bo-VAY-tah
Add on AL-bah for the white variety.
Tree Peonies have a different germination technique……
