Peony (Paeonia lactiflora 'Cheddar Charm')
Paeonia lactiflora 'Cheddar Charm' is a showy, fragrant Herbaceous perennial Peony known for white blooms with gold centers, hardy in Zones 3-8.
Scroll down to discover growing tips, care requirements, companion plants, and more
Complete Plant Information
Overview
The Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’ Peony is an outstanding herbaceous perennial, celebrated for its shrub-like structure and reliability in perennial borders. This specific cultivar offers large, distinctive flowers featuring overlapping white outer petals contrasted by rich gold centers, providing significant visual impact in the late spring garden. As a long-lived plant, the Peony establishes a significant presence over time, returning year after year with minimal fuss once properly situated.
Cultivating Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’ requires attention to planting depth, yet overall maintenance is medium. These plants thrive with medium moisture and require full sun to partial afternoon shade, especially in hotter climates. Gardeners value this Peony not only for its beautiful, fragrant bloom but also for the attractive green foliage that remains present well into fall.
Its robust nature makes this Peony an excellent standard for formal or cottage garden designs. Furthermore, the flowers of Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’ are highly prized for use as cut flowers, bringing their splendor indoors to be fully appreciated before the short blooming period concludes. Planning your garden to include this variety ensures a dependable splash of white and gold each May.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Paeoniaceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 3-8
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 2.5-3 ft
- Spread: 2.5-3 ft
- Bloom Time: May
- Bloom Description: White with gold centers
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Medium
How to Grow
For best results, plant your Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’ in the early autumn when dormancy begins, though spring planting is also possible. Ensure the location provides rich, fertile, and well-drained soil. Proper planting depth is crucial: the rootstock buds, or ‘eyes’, must be situated precisely two inches below the soil surface; planting too deep or too shallow is a common reason for poor flowering.
These beautiful Peonies require medium water, particularly abundant moisture needed during the initial part of the growing season. While full sun is ideal, plants appreciate a bit of part afternoon shade where summer temperatures soar. Incorporating compost before planting helps enrich the soil structure necessary for long-term health.
Maintenance for this Peony is moderately involved. Deadhead faded flowers immediately after they finish blooming to clean up the appearance. In the fall, after the first hard frost, remove all foliage by cutting the stems back to the ground and discarding the debris from the garden to help prevent overwintering diseases.
Paeonia lactiflora cultivars like ‘Cheddar Charm’ are exceptionally long-lived and should rarely be disturbed or divided. Ensure plants receive a cold winter dormant season for proper spring bud development. In regions with minimal snow cover, apply a layer of mulch over the root area during winter for protection.
Landscape Uses
Peonies serve as undisputed stars in the returning garden, making Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’ a standard component of any classic perennial border. They function superbly as specimen plantings where their unique bloom can be admired, or planted in groups to create striking drifts of white and gold. Their upright, shrub-like habit makes them effective as herbaceous hedges lining walkways, driveways, or as strong accents near fences or walls.
Due to their substantial mid-summer foliage, these plants also excel when used as a backdrop or frame for later-blooming perennials, providing structure long after the primary floral show ends. While they demand space—growing to about 3 feet wide—they integrate well with other perennials that enjoy rich soil, such as tall irises or robust salvias, provided they do not cast too much shade.
For an elegant, traditional look, pair several clumps of the ‘Cheddar Charm’ Peony near roses or white-flowering hydrangeas. Their impressive structure means they require little companionship, but they look magnificent when allowed to stand somewhat alone, anchoring a design.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
- Fragrant
Noteworthy Characteristics
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’ is an herbaceous perennial known for its Japanese/anemone form flower, featuring overlapping white outer petals and brilliant gold centers. This cultivar is shrubby, growing up to 36 inches tall before dying back to the ground after frost signals winter dormancy. The large flowers appear mid to late season, typically in late May, and make for an excellent cut flower addition to any arrangement.
Tolerances
- Rabbit
- Deer
Potential Problems
Peonies are generally robust, though gardeners should watch for fungal issues like Botrytis blight or Phytophthora blight, especially in overly damp or poorly drained conditions. Ants frequently swarm peony buds; these are harmless and usually disappear once the flowers open. A major consideration is if the plants fail to bloom; check that the root eyes were not planted too deep or too shallowly, or if the site receives too much shade.
Large blooms on Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’ may require staking or physical support, as heavy rain can easily bend stems toward the soil. In the autumn, powdery mildew often appears on the leaves; this is usually cosmetic and harmless, but the foliage can be removed after frost to improve winter appearance. Both deer and rabbits typically avoid consuming this Peony.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Peony suitable for?
The Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’ Peony is reliably hardy across USDA Zones 3 through 8. Best performance is frequently seen in Zones 5-7, but it can often thrive well into the northern edges of Zone 8.
How large does Peony grow?
This herbaceous perennial typically reaches a mature height between 2.5 and 3 feet tall, with a comparable spread ranging from 2.5 to 3 feet wide.
What sun exposure does Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’ need?
This variety performs best when situated in full sun, though it can tolerate partial shade. Providing some relief from intense afternoon sun is beneficial in very hot climates to protect the foliage.
When does Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’ bloom?
The bloom time for this late-blooming Peony is generally in May, presenting striking white flowers accented by prominent gold centers.
Conclusion
The Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’ offers gardeners reliable perennial structure combined with highly prized, fragrant, showy white blooms accented by gold. Its decades-long lifespan and resistance to common browsing pests like deer and rabbits make it a garden cornerstone. Before planting your Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’, carefully check your local USDA hardiness zone and ensure the planting depth is strictly adhered to for guaranteed flowering success next season.
Companion Planting
When selecting companions for Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’, focus on plants that offer contrasting textures or later blooms to mitigate the gap after the Peony finishes flowering in late spring. Hostas provide excellent, lush shade-tolerant foliage that complements the upright structure of the Peony, especially if the peony receives afternoon shade. Pair with early summer bloomers like Siberian Iris or early-blooming Asiatic Lilies which share similar moderate water and soil fertility requirements. Avoid placing shallow-rooted plants too close, as Peonies prefer undisturbed soil around their root masses.
Seasonal Care Calendar
Spring preparation for your Peony involves removing any winter mulch applied after the threat of severe frost has passed, allowing the plant to emerge cleanly. During the active growing phase in late spring, maintain medium moisture levels, especially as buds swell and open. Summer care is minimal; simply deadhead spent blooms to maintain tidiness. In the fall, after the first killing frost turns the foliage brown, cut all stems down to the ground level and remove the material to prevent disease carryover into the next season, providing a clean start for your Paeonia lactiflora ‘Cheddar Charm’.
