Red peonies in a garden can command our attention from a distance. Planted in partial shade, the darkness of the deep red varieties intensifies in contrast to those grown in full sun. When the peony buds are developing and opening under cloudy skies, you will see darker pigmentation than when they develop and bloom in hot sun. That is why the vibrancy and hue of some peonies may vary slightly from one season to the next.
If you grow a dark red peony near a tree where it gets both sun and shade, you may be amazed at the deeper, richer color of the flowers. The trick is to have a nice balance of sun and shade – too much shade and the amount of flowers per plant will likely diminish. You can also see the stronger color intensity on a peony if you cut a bud when it is marshmallow soft and put it in the refrigerator for a few days. When you re-cut the stem and put it in a vase with water, it will open over the next day or two. You will see more vibrancy in the color than in one that opens in the garden, as it did not fade from the sun as it opened.
We grow some brilliant reds, like Christmas Velvet, Henry Bockstoce, Many Happy Returns and Command Performance. They are stunning red peonies and I love them all. I love the darker red peonies, too. Some appear black red under the right conditions; others have a velvety allure to them. They come in single, double and Japanese style blossoms; some are accentuated with golden stamens peaking through their petals.
Bright red peonies make me happy and dark red peonies soothe my soul. Black Swan, Bob, Buckeye Belle, Charm, Chief Black Hawk, Old Faithful, Red Charm, Rubra Plena and Topeka Garnet are some of the deep reds that just shout out for attention.
Black Swan
Bob
Buckeye Belle
Charm
Chief Black Hawk
Old Faithful
Red Charm
Rubra Plena
Topeka Garnet
Black Swan, Bob, Buckeye Belle, Charm, Chief Black Hawk, Illini Warrior, Old Faithful, Red Charm, Rubra Plena are some of the deep reds that just shout out for attention. When I see these dark beauties, I marvel at them each day that I can. Their red hues are often described as crimson, garnet, mahogany, sangria, scarlet or wine – there are so many shades that it is sometimes hard to define the exact color.
Look for a few of these dark red peonies on display at our farm through June 15. They’ll be alongside the whites, pinks, yellows and bi-colored peonies.
We also offer a selection of bare root peonies for fall planting in our online peony catalog.