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What Colors Do Peonies Come In? (All You Need to Know)

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Peonies are a great choice for gardening. They can decorate your garden with numerous colors. But the most interesting thing is, they carry genes for different colors and you never know which color of peonies are going to bloom in your garden.

What colors do peonies come in?

Peonies flourish in varieties of fascinating vibrant colors. Actually, these gorgeous eye-catching flowers have versatile colors with an exquisite, bold range of shades including soft pink, red, purple, white, peach, orange, yellow, coral, lavender. Some can even change their color after blooming.

Peonies come with various ranges of bold and attractive color. Their vibrant, fascinating colors attract people most. Actually, the reason is, they carry genes of various colors and pigmentation. Here’s the brief discussion of the varieties of color in peonies: 

Elegant Red:

Red peonies are the perfect example of how gorgeous they can be! In fact, there are approximately eighteen shades of red colored peonies depending on the climate and cultivating time.

The ‘Early Scout’ and the ‘Felix Supreme’ are small sized crimson red or ruby tone peonies. Where ‘Red Magic’ comes in a deep red cranberry color. 

Pink variety:

Peonies bloom in bright pink to pale pink. It’s the most common color of peonies. ‘Angle cheeks’ and ‘Myrtle Gentry’ are the pale shaded pink colored peonies. ‘Gay Paree’ peonies have bright pink color outside and pale pink ruffled petals inside.

Where the ‘Do Tell’ has a magenta cluster inside with pale pink overtones. The ‘Gilbert Berthelot’ also are in vivid magenta pink undertone.

White:

White peonies are normally called Paeonia lactiflora Pall. Among white peonies the ‘Lillian White’ has an off-white color with a tinged center. ‘Gardenia’ are scented peonies having a blush white color inside and light pink outside.

Where the ‘Mother’s Choice’ are large double sized pearly white peonies. In east Asia, they are normally found.

Purple:

Purple peonies can be found in Chinese peonies, tree peonies and Japanese hybrids. The ‘Red Sarah Bernhardt’ is a unique type of peonies which has a purple and cerise infused color.

The ‘Early Scout’ and the ‘Cherry Hill Peony’ are also deep purple variety hybrid peonies. The ‘Cherry Hill Peony’ have deep purple red infused petals. 

Coral:

This eye soothing, affectionate color attracts people much. ‘Coral sunset’ are the uncommon early blooming peonies having an intense coral color.

Again, The ‘Pink Hawaiian Coral’ flowers have vigorous coral-pink vibrant color. But the most beautiful ‘Coral Fay’ blooms in rosy red color with a choral tone on the outer petals.

Yellow:

Yellow peonies are hybrid peonies. They  are quite rare and expensive. They can be found in vibrant yellow to lemon yellow color with an intense smell.

In each peony group, there are yellow peonies. Some unscented peonies like ‘Goldilocks Peony’ can also have light yellow petals. Again, the ‘Yellow Crown Peony’ comes in a golden yellow color with a red tinted center which is a  hybrid ruffled flower.

Lavender:

This soothing color is one of most beautiful colors that suits peonies most and attracts best.

They can grow 5”larger.  ‘Sonoma Amethyst’ peonies have a deep lavender color. ‘Triphena Parkin’, which is a rose-type flower, is also a lavender colored peony.

How many different colors of peonies are there? 

Normally garden peonies are found in white, pink or in red but the tree peonies or the hybrid Itoh peonies can expand the color range of peonies.

They can be found in so many different shades that nobody can even count how many shades of peonies are in total. Some come in coral, lavender, yellow, orange, deep purple, or mahogany.

Actually, they have the tendency to bleach their colors. In fact, their color pigmentation can change according to the temperature, climate, and environment. Even if they are stressed from any disease or virus infestation, it can also affect the color.

Also, their color depends on the pH of the soil. In spring, they are mostly seen in yellow or in brownish orange color. And in summer, they are mostly found in pinkish, purple or red color.

What colors do Itoh peonies come in? 

Itoh peonies are unique hybrid plants with rich vibrant colors. These blooms in a wide range of vigorous colors, but mostly are charming yellow or red with a touch of golden frills in the center.

But they can be white, coral, pink, and many other spectacular color combinations. Here are the common Itoh peonies colors:

Yellow Itoh peonies:

‘Bartzella’ are the elegant and most popular Itoh peonies variety that has a luminous pastel yellow outside with a slight red flare at the center. ‘Yellow Crown’ is also a fully blooming unique Itoh peonies that comes with a deep golden yellow combination.

Red Itoh peonies:

‘Scarlet Red’ Itoh peonies are very attractive with their vibrant scarlet red color and golden base. Where the ‘Chief Black Hawk’ are the darkest red Itoh peonies with a velvety red sparsely over toned with pink stigmas.

White Itoh peonies:

‘White Emperor’ are uncommon semi-double white varieties of hybrid Itoh peonies with a terrific array of pure white pastels and a light purple flare at the middle of each stamen.

Are blue peonies real? Are there purple peonies? 

Actually, there’s no such thing like blue peonies, rather they are shades of purple. The peonies that are advertised blue are actually not blue but the color is more pink than lavender or close to purple.

Moreover, peonies have a lack of pigmentation of blue. It’s quite faint in the peonies and when it gets mixed with lavender or purple shade, the color comes with a bluish tone.

There are varieties of purple shaded peonies like violet, lavender, deep purple, bluish purple, reddish purple, etc. They are perfect for decorating your garden for its vibrant color and  intensive fragrance.

The ‘Island Minister’ are the large sized peonies that are purple red in color with a golden stamen in the center. ‘Early Scout’, ‘Cherry Hill Peony’ are the hybrid purple peonies. ‘Treasure Peony’ and ‘Red Sarah Bernhardt’ are the purple contrasted peonies.

Are yellow peonies rare? What is the most common color for a peony? 

Yellow peonies are Itoh or hybrid peonies that are much rare and expensive. Actually, they are hard to grow as the crossing of herbaceous and tree peonies is difficult that only breeders can do it.

However, yellow peonies can be found in different shades from vibrant yellow, lemon yellow, buttery yellow, light yellow, golden yellow etc. The yellow flowers are very scented and large. They are the mid season peonies that bloom in late spring to early summer. 

Pink is the most common color and the prettiest color of peonies. They usually grow in small shrubs with woody stems and green foliage. The flowers are mostly strong and  larger in size with double blooms.

Pink peonies also have different shades. They normally bloom in bright pink, magenta, pale pink etc. ‘Angle cheeks’, ‘Blaze’ and ‘Myrtle Gentry’ are the bright pale pink shaded peonies, where ‘Do Tell’ and ‘Gilbert Barthelot’ are the pinkish magenta tone peonies.

How can I tell what kind of peony I have? 

You can identify your peonies by:

Plant type and size:

Herbaceous peonies bloom earlier in the summer season, climb close to 3 ft. long and dry back to the ground during the winter.

Where tree peonies bloom in early spring, grow around 3 to 7 ft and can also survive the winter appearing with new leaves. And the Itoh peonies normally bloom late spring, grow around 2.5 ft. but dry back to the ground in winter like herbaceous. 

Foliage and Stems:

The foliage of tree peonies is like a lackluster green color and the leaves are much bigger. Where the herbaceous peonies have large shiny green leaves and the Itoh peonies have dark green, lush , deeply lobed foliage.

Growth Requirements:

Herbaceous peonies require full sun and well drained soil. But tree peonies don’t need as much sun as herbaceous, and can manage a couple of hours of sunlight.

And the Itoh Peonies need full sun with a partial shade. They require rich, well drained soil but can’t tolerate high levels of nitrogen.

Type of flowers:

Peonies can be identified by their types of flower as well. Single peony flowers have one row of five to ten broad petals and have visible stamens in the center.

Double peony flowers have large bushy blooms and the center of the flower is similar to the outer petals. Semi double peonies have ruffled petals with multiple petaloids mixed with stamens in the center.

Bomb-peonies have larger globular flowers with numerous petaloids in the center which are clearly separated from outer petals.

Final Thoughts 

Peonies can be found in numerous gorgeous, fascinating colors. They are bold and vibrant in color and eye-catching. They are mostly found in pink tones but can also be red, white, purple, orange, yellow or lavender. However, their color can even change depending on the climate and the weather.

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