Download a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader. The peony is the month s crown, the focus, the highlight of all that is beautiful in the garden picture. The common herbaceous peony is very hardy and thrives in a wide range of soils and climate. They need little care and survive the harshest Kansas winters.
Tree peonies grow to eye-level on woody stems with few branches.
The stems of these peonies stay alive through the winter and bloom early. The flowers of tree peonies come in a broad spectrum of colors from yellow, black, and purple to the typical range in shades of red, pink and white. Tree peonies are less common in home gardens due to their higher cost and care requirements. Herbaceous peonies are more commonly grown and do well in a wide range of soil types and climates. Their bushy green, pink or red stems grow from two to four feet tall and turn green by the time they are cut down in the fall.