Peony (Paeonia 'Coral Sunset')
Discover Paeonia 'Coral Sunset', a showy herbaceous peony blooming coral pink in May. Hardy zones 3-8, medium water needs.
Scroll down to discover growing tips, care requirements, companion plants, and more
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’, commonly known as Peony, offers one of the most spectacular spring floral displays in the herbaceous garden. This cultivar provides uniquely colored, semi-double blooms featuring captivating coral pink tones contrasted beautifully with bright gold center stamens. As a herbaceous perennial, Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’ reliably returns each year, providing structure and vibrant color to the spring landscape.
This shrubby perennial typically reaches 2.5 to 3 feet in height and spread, maturing into a full-bodied specimen in borders or as a striking accent. While the bloom time is concentrated, potentially lasting 7-10 days, the foliage remains attractive throughout the summer and early fall, offering consistent garden texture. Gardeners prize this Peony for its ease of establishment and its legendary, long-lived nature.
The appeal of Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’ extends to its practicality; it is superb as a cut flower specimen, bringing fragrance and color indoors. Furthermore, it boasts notable resistance to common browsing pests, making it a reliable choice even in areas frequented by deer and rabbits. Cultivating this Peony guarantees significant visual impact year after year with moderate maintenance efforts.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Paeoniaceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 3-8
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 2.5-3 ft
- Spread: 2-2.5 ft
- Bloom Time: May
- Bloom Description: Coral pink with gold centers
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Medium
How to Grow
The key to success with Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’ involves thoughtful initial placement. Plant peonies in the fall whenever possible, selecting a location that receives full sun to light part shade. They thrive in rich, fertile, well-drained soils with medium moisture. Ensure you amend the soil with good compost before planting to set the stage for decades of blooming success.
Ongoing care for this Peony is straightforward. Maintain a medium watering schedule, especially during dry spells, ensuring the soil remains consistently moist but never waterlogged. Peonies generally do not require heavy fertilization if planted in rich soil, but supplemental compost application is beneficial. Deadheading spent flowers after they fade helps redirect the plant’s energy for next year’s show.
Seasonal maintenance is minimal but important for herbaceous types. After the first hard frost turns the foliage brown, cut the entire plant back to the ground and remove the debris from the garden to minimize disease carryover. Importantly, established plants are long-lived; they should not be frequently divided or moved, as disturbance can prevent flowering for several seasons.
Landscape Uses
Peonies, including the stunning Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’, are foundational elements in traditional perennial borders. They perform exceptionally well as specimen plants, drawing the eye with their large, showy early-season flowers. They also group effectively, creating drifts of color that frame walkways, sidewalks, or line sturdy fences and walls, offering a beautiful, dense backdrop.
Due to their dramatic springtime presence and reliable summer foliage, these plants serve beautifully as anchors in mixed perennial beds. They provide structure early in the season when many spring bulbs are fading. Consider planting later-blooming perennials behind your Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’ to ensure continuous color as the Peony season concludes.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
The genus Paeonia encompasses about 30 species of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs ranging from Europe to Asia and Western North America. Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’ is an herbaceous, soft-stemmed variety that grows shrubby and dies back to the ground annually after frost. Its large, semi-double flowers showcase coral pink outer petals accented by rose overtones and golden center stamens, appearing early in the season.
Tolerances
- Rabbit
- Deer
Potential Problems
Peonies are generally robust and surprisingly pest-free. The most common non-harmful association is ants crawling on the buds; they are scouting for nectar and should be left alone. More serious issues, although uncommon, include Botrytis blight and Phytopthora blight, which thrive in overly wet or congested conditions. If your Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’ fails to produce blooms, check that the growing “eyes” were not planted too deeply, ensure adequate sun exposure, or confirm the plant is mature enough to flower after recent transplanting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Peony suitable for?
This resilient Peony, Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’, is suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 8.
How large does Peony grow?
Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’ typically reaches a mature height between 2.5 and 3 feet tall, with a spread ranging from 2 to 2.5 feet wide.
What sun exposure does Peony need?
This variety performs best with full sun exposure but tolerates light part shade conditions gracefully.
When does Peony bloom?
Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’ blooms in May, showcasing memorable coral pink flowers with distinct gold centers, marking it as an early-season highlight.
Conclusion
Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’ stands out as a classic landscape investment, rewarding gardeners with spectacular, fragrant blooms and dependable structure for decades. Its resilience against common pests and adaptability to different light levels make this Peony a rewarding addition to established gardens. Before planting, confirm your location falls within USDA Zones 3-8 and ensure an early spring planting window for the best establishment results.
Companion Planting
When planning the spring garden around Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’, select companions that appreciate similar culture: rich, well-drained soil and medium moisture. Later-blooming alliums, while distinct in form, offer contrasting spires of color that emerge as the Peony finishes its display. Consider planting low-growing annuals like Alyssum along the front edge to suppress weeds and provide ground cover during the early, often sparse, parts of the season before the Peony foliage fully develops.
For textural contrast, pairing the heavy, rounded form of the Peony bloom with delicate, airy fillers works wonderfully. Lungwort (Pulmonaria) provides blue or pink speckled foliage that stays low and thrives in the partial shade that might border the peony’s sunnier spots. These companions help maintain visual interest throughout the garden border once the magnificent floral show of Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’ has passed.
Seasonal Care Calendar
Early Spring (Just as foliage emerges): This is the best time for initial soil amendments, incorporating light compost around the drip line. Avoid piling mulch or soil directly against the crown of the Peony as this can suppress future blooming. Monitor for emerging buds.
Late Spring (Blooming Season): As flowers open, check for ants; they are harmless but abundant. If using the blooms for cut flowers, harvest fully opened buds, cutting stems deep into the plant. Deadhead spent blooms promptly by trimming the flower stalk off just above the first set of healthy leaves.
Late Summer/Early Fall: Allow the foliage of Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’ to remain green as long as possible, as it stores energy for the next year. Do not prune or cut back the stems until the foliage has been blackened by the first hard fall frost.
