There is a vast array of peony colors and forms to choose from. Most gardeners are familiar with the large, double-flowered peonies. Garden peonies are also available in single-flowered, semi-double, Japanese, and anemone-type blossoms. The single and Japanese bloom types usually perform much better in the South than the doubles do. In addition to the well-known white, pink and magenta flowers, newly available colors include yellow, cream and red.

Tree peonies also come in single, semi-double and double-flowered forms, and the color range includes every color of the rainbow except for blue. Depending on the cultivar and weather conditions, peonies will flower as early as March or as late as May. Tree peonies bloom a week or two earlier than herbaceous peonies.

Early blooming cultivars do best in the South as they have time to bloom before hot weather sets in. They are also less prone to botrytis blight.

Herbaceous Peonies: Modern hybrid peonies are complex crosses of other hybrids and several different species. Paeonia lactiflora is the species of many old-fashioned herbaceous hybrids and is often used to refer to them.

* ‘America’ has early, single, large, fiery red flowers with golden center tuft.
* ‘Blaze’ is a true red, early single with rounded petals and a sunny yellow center.
* ‘Bride’s Dream’ is a creamy white Japanese. Center is soft yellow to cream.
* ‘Coral Charm’ has deep coral buds that soften to coral peach when open, with a gold center. Early, semi-double.
* ‘Do Tell’ is a Japanese midseason peony of shell pink with a rose, pink and white center.
* ‘Felix Crousse’ is a double Japanese flower type with ruby red flowers.
* ‘Festiva Maxima’ has fragrant, large, early white double flowers with crimson flecks. Strong, tall stems and dark green foliage. This double old favorite does well in the South.
* ‘Flame’ is an early blooming rose-red single with a yellow center.
* ‘Kansas’ has large, early double flowers of watermelon red that hold their rich color throughout bloom time. This is one of the best doubles for the South.
* ‘Miss America’ has snow white petals that open to a full early semi-double. It is a heavy bloomer.
* ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’ has double pink flowers with silvery centers.
* ‘Paula Fay’ is a glowing pink early semi-double with waxy textured petals.

Tree Peonies (Paeonia suffruticosa): Tree peonies form woody branches that do not die back, but simply drop their leaves in the autumn, as does any deciduous shrub. Their flowers are often larger than herbaceous peonies. Tree peonies like the same soil conditions as the herbaceous but require more shelter from the wind, and the larger-flowered varieties will hold their flowers for a longer time if protected from the sun during the hottest part of the day.

* ‘Age Of Gold’ has creamy lemon semi- double flowers showing red flares at the base of the ruffled petals.
* ‘Alice Harding’ is an old tree peony that is not grafted and can be propagated by division. Double lemon flowers.
* ‘Black Pirate’ is an early midseason, single-or semi-double dark red, with darker flares.
* ‘Dusky Maiden’ is a dark red double flowered tree peony, with the flowers standing well over the bush. Green foliage with a hint of red-good autumn color.
* ‘Gauguin’ has unusual flowers of light raspberry red, flushed on the back and inside base of the petals with a pale gold.
* ‘High Noon’ has lemon yellow flowers that are red near the center. It may bloom again during the summer.
* ‘Kamata-nishiki’ is an early semi-double with dark purple, roselike flowers.
* ‘Roman Gold’ is a free-flowering, wide bush with lemon yellow single flowers with red flares at the base of the petals.
* ‘Taiyo’ is an early semi-double with ruby red blossoms.
* ‘Vesuvian’ is an excellent compact bush with finely cut foliage, dripping with deep maroon double blossoms.

Fernleaf Peonies (Paeonia tenuifolia): These unusual peonies have finely divided fernlike foliage and deep red single or double flowers. They are dwarf in stature, and bloom very early. They are difficult to propagate and therefore are less available and more expensive.