Details
Plants shipped with great care!
Planting & Care for Peony
Preparation
- Plant crowns just under the soil and water in well.
- Organic mulch helps the plants re-establish faster.
- Mature growth is around 32" tall and wide.
- Beautiful to look at and fragrant, too, peonies are among the aristocrats of the plant world.
- They need full sunlight or semi-shade. With protection from strong winds.
- Soil must be well-drained, but heavily enriched with manure or compost. Dig it over deeply to allow the free spread of roots.
- Peonies may flower poorly, if at all, in the year after planting, but this should improve year by year. Generally speaking, peonies are best left undisturbed.
- Peonies make fine sentinels lining walkways and a lovely low hedge. After its stunning bloom, the peony’s bushy clump of handsome glossy green leaves lasts all summer, and then turns purplish or gold in the fall, as stately and dignified as any shrub.
- In mixed borders, peonies bloom with columbines, baptisias, and veronicas, and combine well with irises and roses.
Opening Plant Material
- Containers - Completely saturate all container plants by putting in a larger container of water until stops bubbling, then remove. You’re now ready to plant.
- Scroll down to an orange rectangular box and click on “Handling & Plant Guidelines” for illustration on planting each of these types.
Planting containers
- Plant in March, May – November.
- Slide plant from pot by tapping on the bottom of the pot.
- With shovel or knife trim bottom 2" off of the root ball for plants in plastic containers.
- Rotate the plant to the proper position. Never lift or move plants by the tops.
- Place the root ball in the hole.
- Notice where the base of the trunk flairs out from the tree. This is called the root flair. This root flair should show when the tree is planted. If necessary, add soil under the ball so the root flair is exposed.
- Place fertilizer packets into the bottom of the hole (if purchased). *Use Our Recommended Fertilizer.
- Backfill the hole with soil, making sure the top of the root ball is visible and slightly higher than the soil around it.
- Firm the soil around the plant. Water well to settle soil around the root ball.
Pruning - After Planting
- Containers - Although it is not essential for containers to be pruned after planting, a light pruning for shape, to remove any broken branches from shipping, or to thin out a heavily branched plant will help in the transplanting process and in the appearance of your new planting.
Pruning - Through-out the Season
- After flowering, remove spent flower stems, but allow the foliage to die down naturally before trimming it back. Some varieties produce lovely fall color.
Watering - After Planting
- Plants typically take approximately 6 weeks to establish new roots in your soil. During this period, water plants as often as every 2-4 days at the start and at least a minimum of once per week.
- Beyond the 6 week establishment period, water once per week, unless rains occur.
- Stick your finger into the soil around 3” to check soil moisture.
Watering - Through-out the Season
- After the first season, plants should only be watered during extended periods without rain.
- How do you know if your plants need water? The easiest way to tell is to touch the soil around the roots. If it is moist, there is no need to water. If it is dry, give it a good soaking with the hose end (no nozzle) watering the soil only, not the leaves.
- Stick your finger into the soil around 3” to check soil moisture.
Go to our "Plant Features & Video Tab" for more information & tips on caring and maintaining this plant.
Special Features & Videos for Peony
Special Plant Features & Tips
- The Rachel Peony has glorious double red flowers that adorn this peony in early June.
- These beautiful flowers are bright crimson and fragrant!
- 'Rachel' is an excellent plant for use as a specimen or border grouping in a sunny garden.
- Plant crowns just under the soil and water in well.
- Organic mulch helps the plants re-establish faster.
- Mature growth is around 32" tall and wide.
- Beautiful to look at and fragrant, too, peonies are among the aristocrats of the plant world.
- Peonies were prized by the Chinese for many hundreds of years, and by the early 18th century they had developed the garden peonies from which the forms of Paeonia lactiflora (often referred to as Chinese peonies) are generally descended.
- Peonies were first introduced into Europe at the end of the 18th century.
- Flowers may be single or double and come in early shade of pink, red, purple, white and cream. Many with a light delicious perfume.
- Among the categories of flowers recognized are: small 2-4” across; medium 4-6” across, large 6-8” across and very large are over 8” across.
- They need full sunlight or semi-shade. With protection from strong winds.
- Soil must be well-drained, but heavily enriched with manure or compost. Dig it over deeply to allow the free spread of roots.
- Cut flowers for indoors use when the blooms are opening. Peonies are excellent cut flowers, which will last longer if kept in a cool part of the home and given frequent water changes.
- After flowering, remove spent flower stems, but allow the foliage to die down naturally before trimming it back. Some varieties produce lovely fall color.
- Peonies may flower poorly, if at all, in the year after planting, but this should improve year by year. Generally speaking, peonies are best left undisturbed.
- Peonies make fine sentinels lining walkways and a lovely low hedge. After its stunning bloom, the peony’s bushy clump of handsome glossy green leaves lasts all summer, and then turns purplish or gold in the fall, as stately and dignified as any shrub.
- In mixed borders, peonies bloom with columbines, baptisias, and veronicas, and combine well with irises and roses.

Since we grow all of our nursery stock our availability changes every year.The sizes listed below are not available for every product we offer.For example, perennials will typically only be offered in a #1 container size.Our larger nursery stock like evergreens and shade trees will typicallyonly come in large B&B (balled & burlap) sizes only. | ||||
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Popular Sizes | ||||
Item | Approx. Weight (lbs.) | Approx. Base Diameter | Approx. Height | Shipping Method |
#1 Container | 10 | 8" | 10" | FedEx |
#3 Container/Grow Bag | 25 | 10" | 15" | FedEx |
2' - 5' Bare Root | 5 - 35 | 5 - 15" | 2 - 5' | FedEx |
Containers/Grow Bags | ||||
Item | Approx. Weight (lbs.) | Approx. Base Diameter | Approx. Height | Shipping Method |
#1 Container | 10 | 8" | 10" | FedEx |
#2 Container | 15 | 12" | 12" | FedEx |
#3 Container/Grow Bag | 25 | 10" | 15" | FedEx |
#5 Container/Grow Bag | 40 | 14" | 10" | McKay Delivery* |
#7 Container/Grow Bag | 35 - 50 | 14 - 16" | 1 - 2' | McKay Delivery* |
#10 Container/Grow Bag | 55 - 70 | 18" | 1 - 3' | McKay Delivery* |
#15 Container/Grow Bag | 65 - 80 | 22" | 2 - 3' | McKay Delivery* |
#20 Container/Grow Bag | 100 - 160 | 24" | 7 | McKay Delivery* |
#25 Container/Grow Bag | 130 - 200 | 24 - 30" | 8' | McKay Delivery* |
Bare Root | ||||
Item | Approx. Weight (lbs.) | Approx. Base Diameter | Approx. Height | Shipping Method |
#1 & #1 1/2 Bare Root | 5 | 5 - 8" (no soil on roots) | 5 - 10" | FedEx |
12" Bare Root | 5 - 10 | 5" (no soil on roots) | 10 - 12" | FedEx |
15" Bare Root | 8 - 10 | 10 - 12" (no soil on roots) | 12 - 15" | FedEx |
18" Bare Root | 10 - 15 | 10 - 15" (no soil on roots) | 15 - 18" | FedEx |
2' Bare Root | 15 | 12" (no soil on roots) | 2' | FedEx |
3' Bare Root | 20 | 15" (no soil on roots) | 3' | FedEx |
4' Bare Root | 25 | 18" (no soil on roots) | 4' | FedEx |
5' Bare Root | 30 | 20" (no soil on roots) | 5' | FedEx |
6' Bare Root | 35 | 22" (no soil on roots) | 6' | McKay Delivery* |
8' Bare Root | 40 | 22 - 24" (no soil on roots) | 8' | McKay Delivery* |
9' Bare Root | 45 | 24 - 30" (no soil on roots) | 9' | McKay Delivery* |
1 3/4" caliper Bare Root | 50 | 30" (no soil on roots) | 5 - 6' | McKay Delivery* |
1 1/4" caliper Bare Root | 55 | 32" (no soil on roots) | 8 - 11' | McKay Delivery* |
1 1/2" caliper Bare Root | 60 | 32" (no soil on roots) | 10 - 12' | McKay Delivery* |
2 1/2" caliper Bare Root | 65 | 32 - 35" (no soil on roots) | 10 - 16' | McKay Delivery* |
Balled & Burlap (B&B) | ||||
Item | Approx. Weight (lbs.) | Approx. Base Diameter | Approx. Height | Shipping Method |
2' tall B&B | 50 | 12 - 16" | 2' | McKay Delivery* |
3' tall B&B | 60 - 250 | 22 - 24" | 4' | McKay Delivery* |
4' tall B&B | 250 | 22 - 24" | 5' | McKay Delivery* |
5' tall B&B | 325 | 16 - 24" | 5' | McKay Delivery* |
6' tall B&B | 150 - 325 | 24 - 30" | 6' | McKay Delivery* |
7' tall B&B | 500 - 700 | 30" | 7' | McKay Delivery* |
8' tall B&B | 600 - 700 | 30 - 32" | 8' | McKay Delivery* |
9' tall B&B | 700 | 30 - 35" | 9' | McKay Delivery* |
1 1/4" caliper B&B | 250 - 700 | 22" - 28" | 8 - 11' | McKay Delivery* |
1 1/2" caliper B&B | 350 - 600 | 24" - 30" | 10 - 12' | McKay Delivery* |
2" caliper B&B | 600 - 700 | 28" - 32" | 10 - 14' | McKay Delivery* |
2 1/2" caliper B&B | 700 - 1,000 | 30" - 36" | 10 - 16' | McKay Delivery* |
3" caliper B&B | 850 - 1,200 | 34" - 38" | 12 - 18' | McKay Delivery* |
3 1/2" caliper B&B | 1,000 - 1,200 | 36" | 3' | McKay Delivery* |
*McKay Delivery - This shipping method can only be used when your delivery address is within 60 miles of Waterloo, Wisconsin. McKay will hand delivery your nursery stock. We can delivey any size, but typically this shipping method is used for oversize items that FedEx cannot ship.
Growing Zones: 3-8
Bloom Time: | June - July |
Color: | Green, Pink, Red |
Plant Size: | 32" tall x 32" wide |
Flower Color: | Red-pink |
Sunlight: | Full Sun to Partial Shade |
Soil Conditions: | Normal, Sandy, Clay, Acidic |
Low Maintenance: | Yes |
Deer Resistant: | Yes |
Attracts Butterflies: | Yes |
Attracts Bees: | No |
Attracts Birds: | No |
Edible: | No |