Petals are mottled at the base. The stems of these peonies stay alive all winter. They are less common than garden types. Many varieties of tree peonies have been developed. All of these bloom early.
New growth develops from buds, or eyes, on the tuber.
A single tuber may have many eyes, but it must have at least three to thrive. Plants grown from tubers with less than three eyes may take 3 to 5 years to produce more than a few small blooms. But, peonies grown from tubers with three to five eyes may flower well the second year after planting. Peonies develop a taproot and many short, thin roots. The taproot is a straight, thick, central root that extends farther into the soil than other roots.