Go Back Shima-Nishiki Tree Peony

Posted: May 7, 2019 at 4:59 PM
Paeonia 'Shima-Nishiki'
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Plant Type: Peonies

Shima-Nishiki is truly a classic with large, purplish-red and white-striped blossoms with bright golden stamens. If you have room to try only one tree peony (and you will find more room once hooked), try this one. Its woody structure provides support for gigantic dinner plate-sized flowers on a plant that grows 4-5′ tall, with up to 50 blooms per plant. After they bloom, tree peonies provide structure to the garden with deep green leaves in summer, and bronze and purple foliage in fall. Native to China and cultivated for millennia, these deer-resistant plants are often referred to as woody shrubs and thrive in Zones 4-9. Tree peonies can be grown further north, but they have substantial die-back and behave more like an herbaceous peony, sprouting from the base every year, with more sporadic bloom. Tree peonies grow slowly, producing 1-6″ of new growth each year, and care should be taken not to prune them back like you would herbaceous peonies. The branches can be brittle, so they should be placed in an area with little traffic. Given well-drained soil and dappled sunlight, they will live for years to come.

This rare, red and white candy striped plant arose from a bud mutation in ‘Taiyo’. Young plants of Tree Peony ‘Shima Nishiki’ may bloom with all red flowers or all white flowers until established.

Tree Peonies are woody stemmed shrubs that will grow to their mature size in 5 to 8 years. Blossoms will reach 5-7″ wide, unless otherwise noted and will reach 3 1/2′ to 5′ tall and wide.

Currently not available for online purchase.

Growing & Maintenance Tips:

Flower Color

red and white

Foliage Color

green

Plant Spread

60"

Good Companions

sun loving plants

Plant Height

60"

Scape Height

—

Hardness Zone

4

Soil Moisture

well drained

Characteristics & Attributes

Attributes

mass planting, or specimen

Bloom Time

spring/summer

Critter Resistance

deer, rabbits

Exposure

full to part sun

Growth Rate

moderate

Seasonal Interests

spring/summer