Herbaceous peonies are best grown in the southern half of New Zealand, as the plants require good winter chilling to set the flowers. They prefer a sunny situation, and rich, well-drained soil. View Peony Image Gallery Peonies come in a wide range of shapes and colours. Craigmore Peonies Partnership have over 120 different varieties, mostly imported from the United States. The first import took place in 1981.
Colours range from white and cream through the rarer lemon to corals, pinks and red.
Blooms come in single, semi-double, double and bomb form. The hybrids have better tolerance of warmer temperatures, and have been grown successfully in pots as far north as Auckland. The tree peony is one of the most magnificent of all plants. The immense and delicate blooms are a feature in any garden, and when not in blossom are extremely handsome for the beauty of their leaves, the gesture of their branches, and rich autumn colours. Most of the tree peonies grown at Craigmore Peonies Partnership are cultivars of Paeonia suffructicosa.