Another Perfect Plant: Itoh Peonies
Paeonia ‘Canary Brilliants’ Photo by Cheryl van Blom, Bellevue Botanical Garden
Richard often jokes that we plant peonies for their foliage, and when you see the finely divided leaves of Itoh peonies you will understand why. While common herbaceous peonies are prone to fungal disease, these intersectional hybrids are resistant, remaining healthy and green from spring through fall. Growing to three feet tall and wide, they are the perfect garden height. Their low, mounded form and lush texture make them great candidates for elegant mass plantings.
While certainly handsome foliage plants, Itoh peonies are true showstoppers when in bloom. From late spring to early summer, they grace the garden with a profusion of gorgeous blossoms coming in a wide range of colors, including blends of white, pink, red, and apricot as well as some really beautiful, pure yellows. Unlike herbaceous peonies, they will not flop under the weight of their flowers, thus eliminating the need for unsightly staking. Their sweet fragrance and ample nectar attract a variety of pollinators and beneficial insects.
These remarkable plants are the result of a challenging interspecies cross between herbaceous peonies and tree peonies, achieved by Dr. Toichi Itoh in 1948. Up until the past five years, one plant often sold for well over $1,000. Today, they are more widely available and affordable thanks to tissue culture propagation methods.
Paeonia x ‘Hillary’ Photo by Land Morphology.