Paeonia - Peony Sorbet

DESCRIPTION: This stunning two-tone variety will create a dramatic display in garden and border plantings; alternating rings of soft pink and cream petals are luminous; the fragrant flowers open on stiff stems making them an excellent cut flower

BOTANICAL NAME: Paeonia lactiflora 'Sorbet'
AVERAGE MATURE HEIGHT: 75 cm
AVERAGE MATURE SPREAD: 80-90 cm
SUN EXPOSURE: Full sun
FLOWER COLOUR: Soft pink and creamy white
FLOWERING TIME: Late spring
FOLIAGE COLOUR: Dark green
COLD HARDINESS: Zone 2 ( Should survive up to -42.7° Celsius )
WATER NEEDS: Average
OTHER FEATURES: Border, Cut Flower, Deer Resistant, Fragrant, Rabbit Resistant

Ornamental Features

Sorbet Peony features delightful, lightly-scented, pink double blooms with creamy white overtones at the ends of the stems from late spring to early summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its glossy compound leaves remain dark green in colour throughout the season.

Sorbet Peony is an herbaceous perennial with a more or less rounded form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration:

• Disease

Sorbet Peony is recommended for the following landscape applications:

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Sorbet Peony will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 30 inches apart. The flower stalks can be weak and so it may require staking in exposed sites or excessively rich soils. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.