We save the seeds from our Northwest Cultivar Group (rockii) tree peony every year. You can purchase them on our website, or you can send us $12 and we’ll send you 25 freshly picked ones in late August. (Postage is included in price.) A small number of different peony seeds are also available for purchase. Please visit our website for further details. Send in your requests as soon as possible because we can only offer a certain quantity of seeds per year.
Many of the seeds from the hybrid tree peonies in the Northwest Cultivar group p.rockii will grow into plants that produce these stunning white blooms with crimson flares (blooming in about four years). This flower’s shape and color closely resemble those of the P. rockii wild species.
The period to gather the peony seeds for this year will be in late August or early September. Try your hand at growing a harvest of peonies from seed if you left the pods on the plant throughout the summer because the vast majority of peonies produce viable seeds. Peonies grown from seed do not look exactly like their parent plant, despite possible striking similarities. Nearly all cultivated tree and herbaceous peony are hybrids that are very different from their predecessors in the wild. Seeds gathered from a single peony species that did not cross pollinate with other peonies are the exception to this rule.
Peonies that are intersectional hybrids (Itoh) are sterile and do not produce viable seeds. Sadly, other popular garden plants, including the high-tech herbaceous hybrids “Coral Charm” and “Lois’ Choice,” are also infertile. Most ‘lutea’ hybrid tree peony from Europe and America, such ‘Leda’ or ‘High Noon,’ hardly ever produce viable seeds. These, however, make up a relatively minor portion of the entire peony population; the vast majority of Chinese and Japanese tree and herbaceous peonies all produce copious amounts of healthy seeds that are quickly ready for harvesting and sowing.
The lovely star-shaped pods are currently growing and starting to change from a leathery green to a brown hue. When the seedpod has turned a dark tallow-brown, the seeds are ready to be picked. Between the third week of August and the beginning of September, we typically harvest our tree peony seeds here.
The seeds are ripe and prepared for harvesting when the seed pods have turned a dark brown hue and are just starting to crack open. Carefully pry open each section of the seed pod to release the seeds. Seeds with damage won’t grow.
Peony seeds go into a twofold dormancy when fully ripe, consisting of a hard outer seed coat and a dormant embryo. When water and air can get past the seed coat and into the embryo, germination happens.
Starting peony seeds can be done in a variety of ways. Some are based on the seed’s natural state, or degree of dormancy, while others are determined by the grower, namely whether to sow the seeds outdoors or indoors.
Freshly picked seeds have the potential to grow the following spring as a tiny green stem above the earth and germinate the same season (in the late fall). It could take two growing seasons for dry seeds with a stiff, dry seed coat to naturally emerge out of their double dormancy after direct planting. These seeds are harvested a little bit too soon in the image below. We have discovered that it is best to postpone harvesting brown and black seeds since they are more likely to mold if not sufficiently dried and cured.
Each beautiful pearl contains the embryo of a peony that has never bloomed before and has the potential to astound spectators for many decades to come. Plant some peony seeds this fall to make the world a more lovely place.
When seedpods are left to mature, they will turn a dark brown, and the seeds inside will turn black. In addition, the seedpods will break open. The time has come to sow the seeds.
Fresh seeds (tan, brown, or black) should be sown immediately in a sandy loam, garden soil, or soil that has been aged bark nuggets, perlite, or a bit extra sand for drainage. The pH should be close to 7.0, which frequently requires adding garden lime to make the soil more palatable. Either plant directly in a seed bed or use 10–12 diameter pots with sufficient drainage holes. For seeding, plastic pots are acceptable although we prefer clay pots or root control bags.
If everything is in place, the seed will sprout in the warm late summer weather, and the cooler fall temps will encourage root growth until the weather turns icy. Nothing will emerge above the soil until the next spring. Some seeds won’t begin to sprout until the next spring. Do not rush anything. Tree peony seed pots that we prematurely abandoned are now sprouting and thriving in the compost pile. If two whole years and two springs have passed and nothing has appeared, you probably had a failure to germinate. When you allow the seeds to dry out while they germinate, this is frequently the result. Therefore, it is crucial for the seed pot to have some moisture throughout the first fall.
When the ground has thawed in the spring, remove the mulch from the pot and submerge it in the garden. By May, look for any new growth. During the growing season, which runs from April to September, young sprouts need to be watered and fed a moderate liquid fertilizer, such as Neptune’s Harvest fish-seaweed fertilizer, every other month. Young sprouts are around two inches tall.
Only transplant young seedlings in the fall. Till September of their first year, let them develop unmolested. After the first year, the garden should be spaced about six apart.
The tree peony seedlings reach a height of over 6 inches when they have genuine leaves by their second year.
In the fall of their third year, young plants may be relocated once more to a more permanent site. Choose a well-drained spot with 5–6 hours of sun for tree peonies, and allow at least 4–5′ for each plant (three for herbaceous peonies). Usually, tree peony seedlings begin to blossom in their fourth year. Herbaceous plants occasionally bloom in their third year. Remember that peonies occasionally display their mature form after several years of immature blossoms.
The Northwest Cultivar group Chinese (P.rockii) tree peonies, such as “Snow Lotus,” and herbaceous peonies respond exceptionally well to this “direct” sowing technique. The benefits of the processes outlined below may make it easier for seeds from different hybrid groupings of tree peony to germinate.
As previously said, crack open newly gathered seed pods. Some gardeners choose to let seed pods cure in brown paper bags for a week in your garage or another shaded, dry area rather than opening the pods right away after harvest. Carefully open the seedpods after a week.
Put the seeds in a zip-top bag with vermiculite or fine sand that is just slightly wet. Place the bag in a warm location (around 80 degrees). We make use of the refrigerator’s top. The sprouted seeds can be planted outside as indicated above or placed in a refrigerator for a period of cold stratification of 3 months at 40 degrees when root growth begins, which may happen in 4-12 weeks (the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator is a good spot).
seedlings of the herbaceous peony. If it’s still early in the fall, you can either plant these outside or store them in the refrigerator for a period of cold stratification.
The sprouting seeds can then be put in pots and nurtured either indoors with lights or outdoors gradually exposed to natural sunshine. The projecting rootlet should be handled carefully while planting because it is quite delicate. Repeat the three months of warm treatment (at or near 80 degrees), followed by the three months at 40 degrees, if seeds don’t germinate after the first cycle of hot/cold stratification.
Peony seeds have a strong seed coat and are black or dark brown in color. It will probably take two growing seasons for the ideal mixture of water, heat, and bacteria to break down the seed coat and allow water and air to access the embryo if these seeds are sown outdoors without any particular care. The seed should be scarified with a file or medium sandpaper, as recommended. The seed coat only needs to be gently rubbed twice or three times. View the images below.
Dry, black seeds need to experience warmth followed by a winter frost (either real or simulated) in order to germinate without extra care.
The seeds could be scarified to hasten germination. This is a technique for physically dissolving the seed coat’s outer layer. We work with a rough file.
Give the seed 2-3 light passes with the file while holding it between your thumb and forefinger.
It only takes a few of gentle passes with the file; going too far will harm the embryo. You have gone too far if you file the seed all the way to the point of the white inside. Filing to get rid of the outer layer of sight is generally sufficient. Only a little portion of the seed needs to be filed. A significant quantity of seeds can be scarified using a diluted sulfuric acid solution.
All that is required to let air and moisture to reach the dormant embryo and begin germination is to fill in just below the shiny external covering.
Seeds can be sown soon after scarifying if it’s still early in the fall and the ground is suitable for planting.
If planting indoors, adhere to the warm/cold stratification guidelines in the section on planting new seeds.
Other things to think about while buying peony seeds:
- Flowers that are single or semi-double typically produce more seeds than intricate double varieties.
- If you can’t plant straight away, store in a cool, dry place.
- It’s possible that the seeds you collect from a single tree peony specimen that’s not close to any other tree peonies won’t grow.
We have grown some of the lovely tree and herbaceous peonies from seed. Although we claim ownership of these Peony Heaven hybrids, we are really simply stealing the bees’ and the wind’s thunder!
Unnamed and brand-new Peony Heaven tree peony. 2011 marked the first year that bloomed.