Peony flowers - classification of pink, red, burgundy species

What florist is not familiar with a peony? Elegant, bright, fragrant, they are able to decorate any flower bed, striking with a variety of colors and shapes. It is not surprising that almost every flower lover tries to grow them in his garden. Therefore, it will be useful to talk about them so that the reader can easily choose the option that suits him.

General description of peonies

You can see peony flowers in many countries of the world. Which is understandable - they grow abundantly in Eurasia and North America, preferring subtropical and temperate latitudes. Even wild subspecies are often not very similar to each other - what can we say about the varieties bred by experts.

Simplicity and grace are the undoubted advantages of culture

How many subspecies exist

Today the species includes 36 subspecies. Some are widespread and have long been cultivated by gardeners and breeders, while others (most often the least attractive in appearance) have not become widespread.

How many varieties are selected

New varieties of peonies appear almost every day. Therefore, it is not possible to name their exact number.

Roughly their number is about 5200, namely: over 4664 herbaceous and more than 500 treelike. Of course, they differ significantly in a number of factors: flower shape, color, size, and more.

Variety of colors

Many novice florists are interested in what color peonies are. The answer to this question is not easy! If only because the color gamut is simply huge! Varietal peonies can be white, pink, beige, red, raspberry, peach and others.

This culture is a decoration for any flower bed.

How does it smell

Of course, any connoisseur of flowers is interested not only in how peonies look, but also in what they smell. And here it is also impossible to give an unambiguous answer. This largely depends on the variety, but the main smell is sweetish. For example, it has long been noticed that burgundy peonies have a musky scent. The red varieties have a subtle sourness like a good apple. And the smell of whites is fresh, like clean running water.

Classification of peonies by biological and morphological characteristics

In general, all types of peonies are combined into two groups. They have certain distinctive features that it will be useful to know about.

Herbaceous

The most popular among gardeners are those that are known as "herbaceous peony". Their main feature is that they are annual plants. That is, with the approach of winter, garden peonies die off in order to grow again in the spring.

In late March - early April, new strong seedlings will hatch above the surface of the earth, and then peony leaves, which will grow so quickly that luxurious flowers will appear in early July.

Tree-like

But tree varieties are a relatively rare guest in the post-Soviet space. Their homeland is southwestern China, where individual specimens reach a height of 2 meters!

In the fall, the plant does not die, but hibernates quite normally in order to continue growing in the spring. That is, it is perennial. Gradually, the bush increases in volume and over time turns into a gorgeous hemisphere that can be trimmed, giving it almost any shape.

Tree peony

Of course, he does not like transplants, so it is important to immediately determine where he will grow for many decades.

By the structure of the flower

Plants of the cultivar differ quite significantly. And one of the main differences that experts actively use to classify crops is the structure of the flower.

Non-double

It is not difficult to identify such a decorative variety. Their flowers consist of one or two rows of petals, and in the middle there is a pistil, surrounded by a cluster of stamens and large anthers.

A pleasant feature is that it is the non-double peonies that begin to bloom earlier than other peonies.

Semi-double

The main distinguishing feature of this category is especially wide petals, as well as a corolla consisting of three, five, and sometimes seven rows! The stamens stick out right between the petals, in some varieties they are ring-shaped, while in others they are collected in the center.

In recent years, it is these flowers that have been grown outdoors in Russia.

Japanese

Against their background, Japanese peonies stand out sharply. Their outer petals are located in one or two rows, and in the center are very narrow - in fact, these are modified stamens. An interesting feature is the fact that these petals do not stick out, but bend inward, thus forming a kind of "pillow".

Anemone

According to many experts, the most luxurious peonies belong to this category. Their outer petals are large, and petalodia are located in the center - they look like modified stamens, but at the same time they are rather short.

Some growers appreciate anemone peonies for their unusual feature - inside the flower has the same tone as outside - contrast is very rare.

Terry: bomb-shaped, hemispherical, spherical

Terry peonies are customarily divided into three subgroups, depending on the shape of the flower. Their petals are very wide, but these plants have no stamens and pistils at all! This means that pollen is either absent or sterile. Because of this, terry peonies do not form seeds; they can only be propagated vegetatively.

Rosy

In general, this is a special case of terry peonies. As the name implies, the flower looks like a rose. Pink peonies have petals of the same size, collected rather compactly, only slightly smaller in the center than outside.

Crowned

Crowned are characterized by the presence of 3 tiers, the upper of which forms, as the name implies, the "crown".

Because of the dense pink "crown", Barbara gets the most attention.

By the color of the buds

Of course, there are a lot of beautiful peonies. But many growers try to choose the right ones for a particular flower bed and at the same time pay attention to the color. After all, cultures differ not only in the shape of flowers, but also in color - this must be taken into account.

Pink

Delicate, graceful pink peonies will look great both in a separate garden bed and in the company of other flowers. These include such varieties as: Ann Berry Cousins, Velma Atkinson and Miss America (after blooming, they change pink to white).

Red

Peony varieties that delight owners with scarlet flowers are rightfully considered one of the most popular. If the reader likes such flowers, then most likely the following varieties will suit him: Arkady Gaidar, Lastres, America, Sable (this one with a black tint).

Burgundy

Few plants can match the gracefulness of burgundy peonies. The most successful varieties of them are: Red Charm, Moscow, Kansas, Henry Bokstos, Akron.

Purple

But purple peonies look especially unusual. The combination of eye-catching color and exquisite petals creates a unique beauty. Lovers of this color will love: Duck Black Ash, Sapphire, Purple Lotus.

Lilac

If the purple ones seem too bright and saturated, then you should pay attention to the lilac flowers - they look great both in a bouquet and by themselves. But there are relatively few varieties in this category, first of all it is worth mentioning the following: Lilac fog, Bowl of Beauty, Anastasia (lilac-pink flowers), Alexander Dumas.

Orange

Gardeners who love deep, warm and pleasant tones will love orange peonies like Lorelei, Coral Sunset, Coral Charm.

Raspberry

A good compromise between pink and red. Lovers of this tone will surely be delighted with peonies of the varieties Barbara, Striped candy, Raspberry ice cream.

Beige

Let the beige peony look a little dull against the background of other flowers, yet these plants have a certain grace - their flowering is always a long-awaited holiday. Successful varieties with flowers of this tone are Sorbet, Carrara, Rhapsody.

By flowering time

In order for a flower bed with peonies to delight with gorgeous flowers as long as possible, you need to know which varieties to choose for planting, based on the flowering time.

The culture can also be grown in a pot

Of course, a gardener who wants to know everything about peonies should study these data as well. After choosing the right varieties, he will be able to ensure that the flower bed remains strewn with flowers almost all summer!

Early

For the most impatient gardeners who want to see the result of their labor as soon as possible, early varieties will be a good choice. The fastest of them can begin to bloom with good care as early as June 5-15.

This rather extensive group includes such varieties as Earley Bird, Kazachok, Carol, Henry Boxstock, Convoy, Buckeye Bell.

Average

Some varieties of medium peonies bloom in mid-June, that is, they are not too different from the early ones. But still, the time of their flowering was shifted by several weeks and the beginning falls on the middle to the end of June.

Readers interested in exactly those varieties that begin to bloom at this time will surely like Pastelegance, Lemon Chiffon, Varenka, White Cap.

Late

Finally, by the time when the flowers on the earliest peonies are already beginning to wither and fall off, later varieties begin to bloom. The first flowers appear on them in late June - mid-July. At this time, the number of flowering plants is not too large. Therefore, there are quite a few varieties of late peonies: Lalebai, Junior Miss, Pink Parfight, Dzhakorma, Arkady Gaidar, Memory of Paustovsky.

By size

In order for a flower bed with peonies to look especially elegant, the florist must know well which flowers should be planted higher and which lower. And for this you need to understand the length of their stems.

Dwarf

Varieties with a stem length of 50 to 70 cm usually fall into this category. They are small, but at the same time they bloom beautifully. And the compact root system allows you to grow them not only in the open field, but also in large pots. The brightest representatives of the category:

• London;
• Athens;
• Oslo;
• Jan Van Leuven.

Jan Van Leuven is not very tall

Normal

These are already more impressive in height plants - usually the stems are 70-80 cm long, sometimes slightly higher.

Successful varieties are:

• Accent;
• Eddie Tishler;
• Archangel;
• Bess Bokstos;
• Aristocrat.

Giant

Finally, the highest - in most varieties, the stem length is 90-110 cm.Among connoisseurs, such varieties are widely known as:

• Blanche King;
• BU-TE;
• Adonis;
• Alma-Ata;
• Chiffon Parfait.

Blanche king - peony giant

By the duration of flowering

It is quite difficult to say unequivocally how much a plant will bloom - this indicator varies significantly depending on the variety and can range from one to four weeks.

Therefore, when buying seeds or tubers, it is advisable to find out the specific period. This will avoid unpleasant surprises.

The best varieties of the world selection

Every peony lover would easily list the best varieties in his opinion, the flowers of which can decorate any table, window sill or flower bed. But if you compose the TOP-5 of the most popular peonies all over the world, then it will look something like this:

• Sarah Bernhardt (especially beautiful red peonies).
• Shirley Temple (buds are attractive).
• Duchesse de Nemours (boasts excellent frost resistance).
• Splendor pastel (increased number of flowers on one plant).
• Sister Kiao (unusual buds are painted in two colors).

Variety Sarah Bernhardt

Using the information provided in the article, every novice florist will easily choose exactly those varieties of peonies that will decorate his site and will delight for many years. They can be used to decorate areas both solo and in combination with other cultures.