Double Bubble Pink™ Itoh Peony

Itoh peonies, or intersectional hybrids, as they are also called, are unique peonies created by crossing a tree peony with an herbaceous peony. Growing like regular peonies, but with flowers closer to tree peonies, plants such as the Double Bubble Pink™ Itoh Peony bring something different – and stunningly beautiful – to your garden. It has very handsome foliage, cut into jagged lobes, and large flowers, 4 to 6 inches across, in the most delicious soft pink. With many ruffled petals surrounding a bold center of stamens, these are gorgeous flowers which hold well, gradually softening the color as they age. They are held closer to the leaves than is normal, so they not only look more compact, they don’t need staking. Side buds extend the blooming season, and the handsome foliage makes this an attractive bush when not in bloom. Just as winter-hardy, but also much more heat tolerant, it can be grown in colder zones, but also is an opportunity for gardeners in warmer areas to grow herbaceous peonies. Plant it among perennial flowers, or among shrubs, and it can also be a striking specimen in an Asian-themed garden.

• Large blooms of gorgeous pink, with ruffled petals
• Attractive foliage is more jagged looking than in regular peonies
• Just as easy to grow, and long-lived, as regular peonies
• Excellent cold resistance, but heat tolerant too
• A cross between a tree peony and an herbaceous one

Full sun, or just a little shade, preferably in the afternoon, is ideal for your Double Bubble Pink™ Itoh Peony. Grow it in rich, moist soil that is also well-drained, and add plenty of good compost when planting, and use more for mulch in fall, after you cut down the foliage. It will take a couple of growing seasons before your plant blooms reliably and profusely, but it will live for decades. When planting, keep the point where the leaves meet the root just an inch below the final soil surface – deep planting can delay blooming for years. Be sure you are putting it in its final home, because these plants are difficult to transplant once they have been in the ground for a couple of years. Removing dead flowers and cutting back in fall are all the care needed, and it isn’t eaten by deer. It normally has no pest or disease problems, and this long-lived plant is easy to grow – and spectacular in bloom.