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There were so few Itoh peonies available when they were originally made available to the public and presented to the nursery industry that the cost of one plant exceeded $1,000.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.
Why do peony plants cost so much?
Many people have asked us why peonies are so pricey now that our local peony season is in full bloom. We made the decision to ask Steve Catando, our purchasing manager, to provide our audience some perspective. Demand obviously plays a significant impact, but there are also other aspects that are present.
Read on as Steve offers some clarification and perhaps catches you off guard with some facts from the growing end.
What makes peonies so pricey? Peonies are among the earliest commercially available field-grown flowers in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. They have a substantial impact on arrangements. They are durable and have a great shelf life throughout the supply chain, from the producer to the final consumer. Additionally, they ship well. Finally, there is usually a strong demand, particularly around Mother’s Day. The price would be exorbitant because to any one of these causes, but peonies cover all the bases. Pricing is determined in part by market demand. However, the market is also impacted by the rising environment in the Carolinas. Prices are lower when the major growers are operating at full capacity; on the other hand, prices are higher when there has been some sort of production disruption.
It takes around three years for field-grown peony to produce any commercially viable crop.
Peonies are a long-term crop, at least from the standpoint of the farmer. Anyone interested in it must be willing and able to dedicate the land for at least 10 years. For the length of the peony project, such area cannot be used for any other types of agriculture. The cost of plant material varies depending on type, but planting by hand requires the same amount of labor. At any time, soil-borne illnesses could start to spread and begin to lower the long-term project’s return on investment. It takes around three years for field-grown peony to produce any commercially viable crop. For instance, at the beginning, you might only obtain 3–4 stems per plant. The plants grow more stems as they get older. They will ultimately get to a point where they are making too many stems, which reduces the size of the head. In order to lower the density, a grower will then need to physically dig and divide from his clumps. As far as I’m aware, all of this labor is done by hand, which is expensive. Due to the trauma the plant experiences at this time, stem output will reduce; it won’t be quite like starting over, but it will still be a cost and factor in production. These are the elements that influence market pricing when compared to other crops.
Why is Coral Charm the most expensive variety of peony? With two more criteria, Coral Charm fits the description given above. Since they bloom earlier and the plant material for this kind is more expensive, both factors raise the cost. I would add that the market price has also been driven higher by the fact that the supply side of the Coral market has never really met the demand. Prices could fluctuate if the supply side shifts. They are actually no harder to grow than any other peony; there are some subtle differences, undoubtedly, but nothing big.
Author DVFlora
DVFlora has been offering the finest in fresh cut flowers and greens, floral supplies, and botanicals to professional retail florists, wedding planners, and garden stores for more than 60 years.
What distinguishes Itoh peony from regular peony?
In nurseries, peonies are available as potted plants as well as bare roots for planting. Peonies are available as bare roots for planting both in the fall and in the spring from online merchants including Holland Bulb Farms and Tulip World. Bare root peonies planted in the spring should develop that summer, but blooms won’t likely show until the following spring. There is no need to be concerned if you have to wait a year or two for blooming because peonies have a lengthy lifespan of up to 75 years or more.
In any sunny garden bed or border, both herbaceous and Itoh hybrid peonies have a place and a purpose. The strength of the stems, the hues of the blooms, and the timing of the blooms are the key variations between the two. The Itoh hybrids bloom a little later in spring and have a tendency to have a longer bloom time than the herbaceous peonies, which bloom earlier in the season. Plant both herbaceous and Itoh hybrids to extend the bloom period if you really love peonies and have the room. The most typical hues of herbaceous peonies are pink, red, white, yellow, and peach. Although itoh hybrids are also available in variations of those hues, the variety of hues visible in the blooms is higher than that of herbaceous peonies, which tend to have more uniform hues. You can enjoy the beautiful, fragrant flowers of Itoh hybrids and herbaceous peonies for several weeks every spring for years to come by planting both varieties.
Which peony is the rarest?
The most uncommon peonies are those with fern-like leaves and deep red petals. Its common name, Moravian peony, explains why there is a patch of it growing at the museum of the Lititz Historical Foundation.
According to board secretary and chief gardener at the museum Karen Genevish, the peony was brought to Lititz by Moravian settlers from Germany. The flower mythology is recorded in the LNP archives. It was a closely-kept secret among the Moravian settlers. Plants were exchanged by gardeners as long as they visited Moravian homes. Some of the red blossoms found their way into non-Moravian gardens because they were appreciated.
What is a reasonable peony price?
Generally speaking, peonies cost more than roses. When it comes to cost, The Enchanted Florist and Flirty Fleurs rank peonies higher than roses. Peonies are priced (wholesale) at roughly $3 to $9 per stem according to ValuePenguin, but garden roses are priced at about $4 to $7 per stem. This split is not always accurate, though, as expenses can differ greatly based on a number of variables.
What flower is the priciest in the world?
Despite never having been sold for a price higher than the other flowers on the list, the Kadupul Flower is at the top of our list. The Kadupul Flower tops the list of the most costly flowers in the world for the straightforward reason that it is entirely priceless. This flower could never be purchased with money. It only has a short lifespan of a few hours before passing away because it is so rare and weak. This fragile gem is hardly ever seen by anyone in Sri Lanka, where it originally originated. No one has yet been able to separate the flower from its stalk in order to give it as a gift because it blooms shortly before midnight and dies before sunrise. This flower has a remarkably short lifespan, which contributes to its almost mythological position as the most coveted and expensive flower in the world, according to many.
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.