Tell me about my peonies, please?

Question

I've looked them up but don't know what kind they are. They die back to the ground in the winter but come back every year. What I've seen online says they should be single or double but I have one that has 5 flowers growing on one stalk. Some of the flowers are as big as my hand. And white and pink grow from the same plant (not the same stalk though) Besides figuring out how to stake them up better, what else do I do? I haven't done anything to care for these and are considering moving them as well. I'm awfully curious as to what exactly they are as well.http://new.photos.yahoo.com/erin_bridgette/album/1152921504631980230

Crap, I don't know how to share the photos. Let me figure it out I guess.

Maybe these will work.
http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/7845/img0129mu2.jpg
http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/1328/img0131nm3.jpg
http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/1122/img0130ov1.jpg
http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/9045/img0132qo7.jpg

Answer 1

Single or double refers to the number & kind of petal in a peony. The basic form of a peony or any flower can be changed by selective breeding or hybridizing between species. Paeonia lactiflora x Paeonia officinalis. It even changes things as which donates the seed vs. the pollen.
http://www.paeonia.ch/db/seiten_e/liste03.php
In peonies the single flower is a set of broad petals in a single row which surrounds a mass of pollen bearing stamens and seed bearing carpels. An example is 'Le Printemps' .
The Semi-double flowers contain carpels that have widened irregularly making petaloids of varying widths with stamens mixed in. There is a base row of guard petals that may or may not be clearly different. 'Stephania'
Semi rose The petals are uniformly wide with a few stamens present.
Full rose [full double] all the stamens and carpels have developed into petals resembling the original guard petals. 'Mme Lemonier'
Help me find Peony site
http://www.helpmefind.com/peony/index.php

Try Alice Harding's book 'The Peony' She covers 125 in specific.
She lists 8 floral forms. Yours are either full rose or semi rose also called full double or semi-double herbaceous peonies.
She lists 'Bridal Icing', 'White Ivory' 'Avalanche', Baroness Schroeder', 'Duchess de Nemours', Festiva Maxima' [I have these last two and festiva has red flecks in the center], 'James Kelway', 'La Tendresse', 'Madame Crousse', Marie Jacquin', 'Marie Lemoine', 'Mireille', 'Monsieur Dupont', 'Stephania' as top all white peonies.
The reason for two colors is usually a branch will mutate so you see two flowers one one bush. Roses also do this. It may be that your plant was a sport of another and has reverted to the parental form. Or you may have a new plant seeded in so close it seems to be one plant. .http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_perennials/article/0,1785,HGTV_3602_5542020,00.html

Weak Flower Stems means either deficient soil or excess shade,
Weak stems that do not stand up well when the blossoms are out indicate either a weak stemmed variety, a phosphorus deficiency, or the plant is in too much shade. Fertilize with a balanced, high-phosphorus fertilizer. That is the P of N-P-K. Give the plants bone meal. One handful scratched into the soil. Peonies should be fed with a 5-10-10 in early spring and again halfway through the growing season.
If the plant is in shade, move it to a sunny location. If the problem persists, you may have to either stake the flower stems or try another variety.
Peony support ring
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=10450&cat=2,43319,33282
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=44799&cat=2,43319,33282&ap=1
http://www.backyardstyle.com/shop/plantsupports.php
http://www.rachelsrobin.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-14745

Answer 2

Certainly you have peonies, and they will live for decades. I have one I bought 35 years ago and have moved it from home to home. You are fortunate to have two plants growing together-a red and white or pink, hard to tell in the picture. Anyway, if you do move them, do so in late fall after the foliage turns yellow, dig deep around the plants as the roots do go down a ways. They are not a bulb, but tuberous roots. When you dig them up, you should be able to split the roots apart. You might want to label the stems now at the bottom so you will know which is which color. Use a twist tie, for example. If each of the plants you have are fairly healthy you can probably get at least 2 out of each. They get bigger and bloom more as they age. My oldest plant this year had well over 120 blooms on it. I always cut off the flower stems after they start drying up, cut down below the leaves so you will have a nice foliage plant for the rest of the growing season.
One big note when moving: when you go to dig up the plant, note how deep down the crown or top of the roots are- probably about an inch. Plant your divided plants exactly as deep as they were before--too shallow or too deep, and they will absolutely refuse to bloom--about the only picky thing about these wonderful plants.

Answer 3

Peonies are absolutely heavenly scented flowers. My mom has a huge shrub and every summer it produces so many flowers that she eventually clipped some off and placed in a bowl of water at home. Sadly, they all droop to the ground because of the weight.
Anyways, "every other year, fertilize peonies with 5-10-5. Do not fertilize every year, as the roots can be burned when too much is added."

"Peonies can remain in the earth for years. After ten years, they may be divided in the fall, if the process is completed carefully. Measure eight to ten inches out from the plant and begin to dig. Separate roots with a sharp knife or other instrument. Each division taken should have between five and eight eyes. Keep new divisions in a shady area and do not allow them to become dry. However, they should not be kept wet. Moisture is the key. "

"Ants are not necessary for a peony to bloom. This tale has been going around for years, but it is a myth. Ants are attracted to peonies because of the nectar they produce while in bud. Ants are not harmful to peonies and there is no need to spray them. "


P.S. I'm looking for the type of your peonies, but no luck so far.

Answer 4

Peonies are lovely. They need black ants for the buds to open. Sounds like you have a beautiful plant, like mine. Pretty much leave them alone. My husband almost killed mine by running it over repeatedly with the mower. I wanted to kill him. It has come back again. We moved in our house in November and when spring came...we were like....wow, what is that? I was thrilled to see the pretty white and pink ruffles inside one of the flowers. Enjoy. Sorry, don't know when you can transplant them.

Answer 5

Could not see your link but I have peonies and you probably know that they are a bulb root. They are huge and lovely. just take a stick and loosely tie the stem or the stalk. Next year dig the bulbs up and transplant them and they shouldn`t be so heavy! Good Luck to you!

Answer 6

After they stop blooming you can move them I have split one now have 5, I dont do much for them You dont have to cut them back or anything pretty much take care of them selves Just pick some and bring them in the house I love smelling them But make sure you dont bring any ants in with you . They will smell your house up .

Answer 7

just to add...you don't really want to put these against your house, as the ants needed to eat the sugar on the outside of the buds in order to flower, need someplace to go after the flowers are done. if the closest place with crumbs is the house...why not?

Answer 8

when you transplant them, they need a year to flower again. I moved mine last April and did not have flowers last year. I have wonderful flowers now. Move them in the fall.
Stake them and secure rags around them, not wire. Rain makes them brown...bummer, mine are brown right now.
I have had them in every house I have lived in- I take them, or a portion of them with me to every house. Mine are almost 30 years old.