Peonies are beautiful old-fashioned flowers that are easy to grow and look wonderful in bouquets. These traits might encourage you to want grow them, but first you want to know what colors they are available in. Surprisingly, peonies come in a multitude of hues and I am happy to share these with you!
Peonies come in a rainbow of colors, including:
- Red
- White
- Pink
- Blush
- Rose
- Coral
- Yellow
- Purple
- Lavender
- Lavender with dark purple centers
- White edged with lavender
- Red and White Bi-Color
- Orange
- Pink with a cream center
- Green
The variety of colors that peonies are available in is nearly boundless. So many different shades and hues to chose from, depending on the variety. Keep reading as I delve into the many options out there!
Red
Red peonies are a brilliant pop of color in the garden, especially mixed in with white peonies. This rich, red bloom is a perfect example of how stunning they can be!
Lady in Red
These hybrid peonies grow tall on strong stems that rarely need to be staked.
It is a mid-season bloomer, so you can stretch out your cut flower harvest.
Rubra Plenta
The blooms start out as a dark pink that later deepens into a lush dark red.
White
White peonies are delicately beautiful and a wonderful foil for the colors of other flowers. They are amazing cut flowers so work so well in a vase with lavender blossoms. They are the picture of spring.
Imacculatee
An old-fashioned favorite is "Imacculatee", which is a stunning pure white peony with large bowl-shaped flowers that emit a delicious fragrance for weeks.
Festiva Maxima
Festiva Maxima peony produces exuberant displays of massive white blooms flecked with crimson on glossy green foliage. The leaves turn golden in the fall, adding interest to your autumn garden as well.
Pink
Pink peonies are a tradition, and can often be found growing alongside turn-of-the century homes. When bundled together, as they are here, they make a powerful impact on the senses.
The most commonly known type of peony is the "Sarah Bernhardt". It has old-fashioned glamour with it's large, globe-shaped pink blooms that come on late in the season then bloom for weeks.
Benjamin Franklin
A vibrant dark pink peony, "Benjamin Franklin" has giant blooms with large outer petals and smaller inner petals. It is a mid to late bloomer, often not blooming until other early types are finishing. They have a more delicate fragrance than some peonies.
Rose
Delicate rose colored peonies can be difficult to find, but they are out there! A sweet mix between red and pink, they can add something special to a flower arrangement or garden bed.
Paula Fay
The "Paula Fay" peony is a rich rose color with a yellow middle. It is a semi-double bloom, so the flowers are more delicate than double peonies.
Blush
So delicate and romantic, blush peonies are a bride's dream flower for her bouquet or for centerpieces.
Shirley Temple
The Shirley Temple peony is a classic type peony. Its large, 8-inch blossoms start out as a pale, blush pink then slowly fade to white as they age. They are wonderfully fragrant and make amazing cut flowers.
Coral
Warm and sunny, coral colored peonies are a charming addition to a cutting flower garden. Add some of these orange-hued beauties to your landscaping for a touch of warmth against the glossy green leaf background.
Coral Charm
Van Zyverden's Coral Charm is a stunning beauty! This award-winning peony is a soft coral color that opens up to a vibrant yellow. It is an early bloomer, so you will have an early spring-mass of color perfect for decorating for the spring holiday gatherings.
Click here to see more on Amazon
Coral Sunset
"Coral Sunset" is a vibrant coral color with a bright yellow center. Each of the flowers buds on its own long stem so it is great for cut flower arrangements.
Yellow
From pale lemon to an exuberant sunshine hue, yellow peonies add warmth and substance to any area they are planted.
A large vase full of yellow barely yellow peonies makes a sensational centerpiece for special occasion gatherings, or just for every day!
Planting bright and sunny yellow peony will add a mass of happy color to your garden.
Bartzella
The delightful "Bartzella" peony has fragrant yellow double blooms with specks of red in the center. Planted in bunches, this beautiful flower will bring your landscaping to life.
Haung Huakui
The rare Haung Huakui golden peony is stunning. Its vibrant color and large double ruffled blooms are very fragrant and bloom gloriously into the summer.
Purple
The color of royalty, purple peonies adds a sense of regalia to a pretty crystal vase. The blooms are so large that it only takes a couple to make a real statement.
Gui Fu
A rare, deep purple peony, Gui Fu peonies are rich and glorious in saturated color. Their ruffly petals are singular and delicate.
Lavender
Luscious lavender peonies are a ladylike addition to the garden. Blend them in with pink and white peonies for a showstopping display of pastel spring color!
Lavender With Dark Purple Centers
The contrast of the light purple emphasized by a dark purple center makes for a unique and interesting collection of flowers.
Cora Louise
The Cora Louise Itoh Peony sports pale pink or lavender flowers with deep purple centers.
White-Edged With Lavender
Peonies in this color combination are truly sweet and darling. Cut a mass of blooms for a tabletop display that will be a subject of conversation at your next dinner party.
Scrumdiddlyumptious
The Scrumdidlyumtious Intersectional Itoh Tree Peony is a gorgeous example of this color combination. It is a tree peony, so it will grow to be about three feet tall and blooms in late spring or early summer.
Red and White Bi-Color
My favorite color combination is red and white. The colors perfectly offset one another and it is no different for peonies. Look for varieties with great contrast like the ones below.
Kirinmaru
These Japanese type peonies have fluffy white blossoms streaked with a rich raspberry color. Kirinmaru are early bloomers, loading up with flowers in early spring.
Orange
For an unexpected twist, incorporate orange peonies into your garden scheme. Such a bold color on an old fashioned flower is a beautiful juxtaposition that is truly eye-catching.
Kopper Kettle
Kopper Kettle is a tree peony with massive electric orange blossoms that can get as large as 8 inches in size. It is a Itoh hybrid so it is more disease resistant than many standard peonies.
Pink and White
Sweet ruffles of pink and white are a lovely color combination for the giant bowl-shaped peony blooms.
These adorable flowers have a feathery center of white that looks like the down of a baby bird nestled inside of sweeping pink exterior petals.
Gather into a vase, these make wonderfully charming cut flower arrangements.
If you love pink and white peonies, you should try "Sorbet" from Burpee. It has gorgeous double blooms with rings of pink and ivory that can get as large as 7 inches across!
Green
For a really unique flower, choose a green peony! Spring green blooms are joyful and interesting in a bouquet for any occasion.
Mix massive green peonies with pale yellow and white flowers that complement the unusual hue in a very pretty way.
Black
Truly black flowers are not easy to find, but here we have a deep black peony. Plant them in a structured garden with white peonies for a modern take on an old-fashioned planting.
Types of Peonies
There are three kinds of peonies: Tree, Herbaceous, and Itoh.
Tree peonies can grow 4 to 7 feet tall and have massive flowers.
Herbaceous peonies are the most common types. They favored for their low maintenance and longevity. They can live for as long as 50 years!
Itoh peonies are a blend of the tree and herbaceous peonies. They have the heartiness of the tree peony and their large blooms, but are perennials, like the herbaceous.
A Color For Every Occasion
As you can see from this list, peonies are available in almost every color of the rainbow. They are stunning in garden beds, or cut flower arrangements, and are a favorite for spring weddings. Choose colors that complement each other, or use varieties that bloom at different times so you can have them in bloom all spring and summer long!
