The Itoh peony, sometimes called the intersectional peony, is a cross between tree peonies and typical herbaceous peonies that combines the best features of both of its parent plants. As a result, Itohs produce massive, long-lasting blooms, sturdy stems, and lush, deeply lobed dark green foliage that lasts through the fall. Itoh peony come in a range of vivid colors, including yellow, coral, pink, red, and white, and have blossoms that can stretch out to be up to 8 inches across.
Although the foliage develops quite quickly, these plants mature rather slowly; seedlings may take three to four years to reach blooming maturity. A good, robust one-gallon nursery specimen, however, might give you blossoms in its first year because potted nursery plants are typically at least two years old before they are marketed. Expect rather slow development in the first year or two if you are purchasing bare roots via mail order.
Due to the paeonol found in the leaves, roots, and stems of peonies, they are slightly toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.
Where should an Itoh peony be planted?
At my property in Bedford, New York, I’ll have more stunning peonies blooming than ever in the spring.
I simply like peonies and have always been a collector of them. At one area of the farm, I have a lengthy peony border planted beneath the semi-shade of colossal sugar maple trees. Just over the carriage road from my house, I have a huge bed that is exclusively planted with pink and white herbaceous peonies. I’ve also planted tree peonies in the garden that’s buried into the ground behind my summer house. I recently acquired a sizable collection of intersectional Itoh peonies grown by Monrovia, a nationwide wholesale nursery with a focus on well-cared-for shrubs, perennials, annuals, ferns, grasses, and conifers. I made the decision that the formal Summer House garden beds encircled by my boxwood hedges would be the ideal location for these hybrid peonies. I can’t wait to see them blossom in May after my gardeners planted about 50 yellow and salmon Itoh peonies yesterday.
I am a devoted and enthusiastic gardener, and I am constantly seeking for methods to make all of my garden beds more beautiful and interesting. I had already planned where I would put these peonies when they arrived. They all hail from Monrovia, where more than 18 different varieties of these are grown “Peonies from Itoh
This magnificent ‘Bartzella’ Itoh peony is one among the kinds we got. Itoh peonies are crossbreeds between tree peony and herbaceous peonies. In the 1940s, Dr. Toichi Itoh, a Japanese botanist, was the first to successfully mate tree peony pollen with herbaceous peony ovary. This one has extraordinarily big, vivid yellow blooms. The center is a richer yellow than the outer layers, which are initially a lighter shade of lemon meringue. Flares of red are hidden within the puffy flowers. Additionally, “Bartzella” smells a little peppery. (Monrovia photo by Doreen Wynja)
This Itoh peony is known as “Singing in the Rain,” and it has enormous, semi-double, creamy blooms with exquisite apricot-salmon flushes. The flowers are presented on long stalks that are ideal for cutting, and they have a gentle, pleasant aroma. (Monrovia photo by Doreen Wynja)
“Pink Double Dandy” is this. When in bloom, it displays a dense mound of dark green foliage above large, semi-double to double, lightly fragrant flowers on sturdy stems. When ripe, the blossoms have a deep lavender-pink color. After that, the petals turn a soft pink and the center’s collection of yellow stamens is visible. Leading Itoh Peony breeder Don Smith created this variety through hybridization. I’ll include a few of these pink peonies in my tree peony border. (Monrovia photo by Doreen Wynja)
I desired the formal rectangular beds behind my Summer House to be planted with the yellow and apricot peonies. To create way for the peony plants, the hostas were moved to a different location.
One of the beds is shown here, cleared and prepared for planting. Numerous white snowdrop bulbs that blossom in the spring are also present beneath the earth.
All of the peonies are neatly arranged in lines and are color-coded by Ryan in the bedsall.
To give these peony plenty of opportunity to grow, they are spaced about three feet apart. Peonies from Itoh produce lots of blooms. On a strong, mature plant, they can expand furiously to three feet tall and four feet wide, and they can produce up to 60 blooms in a second group.
Brian is shown here as he begins to sow more than 20 seeds in this bed. Itoh peonies, also known as intersectional peonies, have traits in common with both its tree and herbaceous parent plants. They produce huge, long-lasting blooms and sturdy stems that don’t need to be staked, just like tree peonies. Additionally, they have rich, deeply lobed foliage that is dark green and last into autumn. Additionally resistant to peony blight are Itoh peonies.
Even though these plants are currently dormant, notice all the stems. These are mature plants as well, so next year should see stunning blooms that measure up to eight inches wide.
The hole is first dug by Brian, at least twice as big as the plant. The ideal planting conditions for itoh peony include rich, well-drained soil and full sun to part shade.
After the hole is dug, Brian uses the potted plant to gauge its size.
The dirt around the hole and in it is then liberally fertilized by Brian. I typically say, “Your plants should eat if you do. For these plants, we’re using Roots fertilizer with mycorrhizal fungi, which improves water and nutrient absorption while helping transplant survival. Itoh peony are susceptible to high nitrogen levels, so use a fertilizer with a low level of nitrogen when fertilizing in the spring and summer.
These peony are in wonderful shape, and Brian gently removes the plant from its container. Then, in order to promote growth, he gently loosens the roots with his hands.
The tops of the stems on the peony in this picture should be just level with the ground.
This peony is the ideal height and should survive the cold weather with no problems.
Brian then fills the hole with soil, making sure it is tightly packed and that all of the stems are completely encased.
Brian makes sure the peonies are planted in absolutely straight lines down the bed by using the empty upturned pots as markers because the plants are trimmed down and don’t currently have any leaf.
Following the planting of all the peonies in the section, the entire area is top dressed with an additional layer of soil before being raked evenly. Due to the numerous side buds that bloom in succession, these Itoh peonies are late midseason plants and will flower in late spring to early summer for three to four weeks.
Next May, these beds will be awash in color. These Itoh peony are strong and resilient to the cold. These aromatic plants can live for 100 years or even longer if planted and cared for properly.
Do Itoh peonies reappear annually?
Itoh peonies, which are hybrids of herbaceous and tree peonies, thrive in a variety of conditions and have magnificent foliage, enormous blooms, and a wide range of color options. In Zones 4–9, hardy.
If you delve deeper into the magnificent beauty of the Itoh peony, you’ll find an inspirational tale of tenacity. An Itoh peony is produced by crossing a typical garden peony (Paeonia lactiflora) with the eye-catching tree peony (Paenoia suffruticosa). For many years, plant breeders believed that because these two peony kinds have such dissimilar parents, a successful hybrid of them would not be possible.
Toichi Itoh, a Japanese plantsman, worked tirelessly to complete this cross. Itoh made this pursuit his life’s work and succeeded in 1948 by breeding the tree peony (Paeonia lactiflora ‘Kakoden’) with the herbaceous peony (Paenoia x lemoinei). 36 plants were born from the productive cross. Nine of those plants exhibited tree peony traits and were dubbed Itoh peonies or Itoh Hybrid peonies. Intersectional peonies and intersectional hybrids are occasionally mentioned. These plants are Itoh peony subspecies.
There were so few Itoh peonies available when they were originally made available to the public and presented to the nursery industry that the cost of one plant exceeded $1,000. The lengthy process of raising these plants to the point where they could produce divisions was reflected in the expensive price tag. The cost of Itoh peony has decreased to between $50 and $100 per plant thanks to the use of tissue culture techniques, which multiply them more quickly.
Because they produce flowers and foliage that resemble tree peonies on a plant that acts like a perennial, Itoh peonies are worth paying any price for. Each year, when the first frost hits, the plant dies back to the soil, and the next spring, fresh growth appears from the ground. This puts an end to concerns about a tree peony’s bloom buds on woody stems being damaged by a late spring frost.
When an Itoh peony’s flower buds open, they reveal big, tree peony-type blooms that are dinner-plate size and come in a variety of colors, including golds and yellows that are less common in herbaceous peony varieties. Despite the huge bloom heads, there is no need to anchor the plants because they have sturdy stems similar to those of a tree peony. A mature Itoh peony has a blooming season that can yield up to 50 blossoms.
The Itoh peony group achieves its optimum bloom time while the herbaceous peony group is completing. Itoh peonies often begin flowering when herbaceous peonies are in bloom. There is a strong, protracted floral display because many Itoh peony plants generate flowers from secondary buds that develop beneath the first flower. Three to four weeks are a luxuriously long flowering period for each Itoh peony plant.
In the garden, Itoh peony hybrids have strong resistance to powdery mildew, which afflicts herbaceous peonies, and botrytis blight, which frequently affects tree peonies. They are also deer-resistant. The Itoh peony group has blossoms that create excellent cut flowers, just like its peony progenitors. Itoh peony typically reach heights of 2 feet and a width of 3.5 feet.
What makes the Itoh peony unique?
At the moment, peonies are in the spotlight everywhere. After a few years of being lost in the English cottage garden wilderness, they have made a comeback. Peonies from Itoh, which are less well-known than herbaceous and border varieties, stole the show at the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Primrose Hall’s entry in the Plant of the Year Competition played a part in this. The Itoh peony Paeonia ‘All That Jazz’ made the top 20 shortlist.
What are Itoh Peonies?
Toichi Itoh, a Japanese breeder who crossed a tree peony with a herbaceous peony in the late 1940s, is the inspiration for the name of the Itoh peony. Sadly, Toichi Itoh passed away before his new hybrids could bloom.
Itoh peonies are little (approximately 75–90 cm tall) plants that bloom profusely in the spring and entirely wither away in the winter. They have significantly larger flowers that last longer than herbaceous peonies, and they are frequently somewhat perfumed. The majority of the time, they can hold their weight without any staking.
Why are Itoh Peonies collectable?
It takes time to hybridize a herbaceous and tree peony. It takes 35 years for the new plant to grow and blossom once you have crossed your parent plants. Before the breeder determines whether they even like the new plant and whether the cross was successful, all of this must be done.
If the breeder approves of the outcome, the plant will be divided in the fall to produce more plants for a reliable crop. A new peony blossom must typically be bred for 1015 years before it can be sold.
They continue to be very uncommon as a result of the challenges involved in breeding Itoh peonies. Find specialized peony nurseries that can provide you with mature, well-established plants when they are ready to bloom.
Due to their scarcity, Itoh peony are also a little more expensive to buy than other varieties. There aren’t many other plants in the garden, though, that provide the same value. Itoh peony have a reputation for being extremely hardy, easy to flower, and low maintenance.
Recommended Itoh peonies
Large, blousy, lavish peonies are well recognized for their blossoms. This is furthered by the extraordinary variety of shape and color combinations found in Itoh peony. Just take a look at the magnificent blossoms of the Paeonia ‘Lollipop,’ which are a brilliant yellow with purple flecks. Semi-double pale coral flowers with violet edges can be found on Paeonia “Magical Mystery Tour.” Paeonia “Morning Lilac,” with its vivid purple flowers and golden stamens, is a real eye-catcher.
Paeonia ‘Pastel Splendor’ features lovely semi-double flowers in lavender and soft pink with a deeper burgundy flare from the center if you favor pastel colors. Paeonia ‘Joanna Marlene,’ which has enormous solitary flowers in peach, gold, and yellow, is another favorite. The blossoms resemble fruit-flavored pastel candies.
Paeonia “Court Jester,” which has an altogether new blossom shape, is a genuine delight. A single, golden-yellow flower with petals resembling a jester’s hat is present. Beautifully broad, light lavender flowers with dark purple flares at the center can be found on Paeonia ‘Cora Louise’.
Where and how can I grow Itoh peonies?
Itoh peonies are fantastic border or specimen plants in the yard and look great in large patio planters. An Itoh peony planted in a container has to be fed with a general, well-balanced feed each year.
Peonies from Itoh require very little upkeep. They are long-lived and content with little maintenance, like all peonies; in the late fall, simply remove all dead leaves to the ground. They enjoy any soil that is healthy and free-draining, prefer full sun, but will take some shade. Visit 3 rules for growing the perfect peony for additional gardening advice.
Like other peonies, Itoh peony are extremely resilient and rarely succumb to pests or illnesses. They largely resist peony blight, and damage from slugs, snails, rabbits, and deer is rare.
Why is Paeonia ‘All That Jazz’ so exciting?
The new Peony “All That Jazz” has survived the challenging hybridization process. It was introduced to the UK market in May 2019 and features all the advantages of Itoh peonies. It has strong stems, a lengthy flowering season, big blooms, and stunning colors.
Don Smith first bred “All That Jazz” with apricot undertones, burgundy basal flares, and pink specks. It is a peony with only a faint aroma and 20 cm-long bloom heads. The plants have a comparable spread and grow to a height of between 80 and 100 cm without the need for staking.