Take a look at this gorgeous tree peony! Two of these beauties are in full bloom at the Headquarters House in Fayetteville, one on either side of the long sidewalk that leads to the front steps. If they know how beautiful they are, they are incredibly humble about it. They welcome visitors with saucer-sized blossoms; their sweet scent is like a gentle tap on the shoulder.
Classy. No doubt about it. With old-fashioned charm.
Ahhh… They smell like antique climbing roses, the sort that grew next to your grandmother’s potting shed.
Fully open, tree peony blossoms resemble Rose of Sharon. Their tight buds look like a cross between a rose and a common garden peony. But the tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) is a deciduous woody shrub. They do well here in Northwest Arkansas because they love cold winters and hot summers.
Beautiful, even in decline.
As you might have guessed, the large blossoms attract bees and butterflies. How could they not with a face like that? There’s so much irresistibleness within each flower.
Another good thing—tree peonies are deer tolerant. That’s important here in the Ozarks where deer and humans have begun to co-exist.
Nature amazes me daily.
Spring 2019, when you blaze into summer, I’m gonna miss you. Summer 2019, I hope you are preparing. You will have a hard act to follow.
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
Cathy Voight says
April 24, 2019 at 8:12 amWe just planted a tree peony last week. They always remind me of my mom!
Dorothy Johnson says
April 25, 2019 at 2:33 pmBeautiful shrubs! Peonies are one of my favorites. Ours are full of buds and I’m eager for them to open. I agree that the flowers this spring has been spectacular.