Itoh Peony Big Bareroot Plant – Hybrid Peony with Fragrant Blooms – Zone 4-9 Outdoor

Overview

Introduce a touch of elegance and robust beauty to your landscape with the Itoh Peony big bareroot. This exceptional hybrid, also known as an Intersectional Peony, represents a remarkable cross between a tree peony and a herbaceous peony, inheriting the best qualities from both. Gardeners adore these plants for their strong, upright stems that prevent flopping, much like a tree peony, combined with the prolific blooming habit of a bush peony. Each plant produces an abundance of large, wonderfully fragrant flowers that create a stunning visual and aromatic display in spring and early summer. The Itoh Peony big bareroot is a long-lived perennial, promising years of magnificent blossoms with relatively low maintenance once established. It’s a fantastic investment for anyone seeking a standout feature in their garden, offering both resilience and breathtaking beauty.

This particular offering is a bareroot plant, which is an excellent way to establish a healthy and vigorous peony. Bareroot plants are typically more cost-effective and often establish more quickly than potted plants, as they adapt directly to your garden soil. The ‘Scrumdiddlyumptious’ variety is renowned for its vigorous growth and abundant, showy flowers, making it a highly sought-after specimen. Whether you are an experienced gardener or just starting, a hybrid peony plant like this will be a rewarding addition, providing a spectacular focal point with its unique bloom structure and captivating scent.

Key Benefits

The Itoh Peony big bareroot offers numerous advantages for any garden, making it a prized specimen for its beauty and ease of care. Its unique hybrid vigor ensures a spectacular display:

• Stunning, Fragrant Blooms: Enjoy an abundance of huge, wonderfully smelling flowers that are a true showstopper in any garden. These peonies produce some of the most captivating and aromatic blossoms available, adding sensory delight.
• Robust, Upright Growth: Unlike many traditional bush peonies, the Itoh Peony big bareroot features strong stems that keep its large flowers proudly upright, eliminating the need for staking and maintaining a tidy appearance.
• Extended Bloom Period: Due to its hybrid nature, Itoh Peonies often boast a longer blooming season compared to other peony types, providing more weeks of continuous floral beauty. This makes it a perfect hybrid peony plant to enjoy for longer periods.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, these peonies are remarkably resilient and require minimal care, making them ideal for gardeners seeking high impact with less effort. They are drought-tolerant and disease-resistant.
• Versatile Garden Placement: Excellent for borders, mass plantings, or as a focal point in a perennial bed. Its striking appearance and manageable size make it suitable for various garden designs.
• Cold Hardy: Thrives in USDA Zones 4-9, making it a reliable choice for a wide range of climates and ensuring it can withstand cold winters.
• Deer Resistant: Generally not favored by deer, offering peace of mind for gardeners in areas with wildlife.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Itoh Peony big bareroot is straightforward, ensuring years of magnificent blooms. These resilient plants thrive with proper siting and basic care. Plant your bareroot in a location that receives at least 6 hours of full sun daily. While they can tolerate some partial shade, especially in hotter climates, ample sunlight is crucial for prolific flowering. Good air circulation is also important to prevent fungal diseases. The ideal soil for an Itoh Peony big bareroot is well-draining, fertile, and slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6.5-7.0). Amend heavy clay soils with compost or other organic matter to improve drainage and fertility before planting.

When planting your bareroot, ensure the ‘eyes’ (small pinkish buds) are planted no more than 1-2 inches below the soil surface. Planting too deeply can inhibit flowering. Water thoroughly after planting and keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged during the first growing season to help the plant establish. Once established, Itoh Peonies are quite drought-tolerant, but regular watering during dry spells will promote healthier growth and more abundant blooms. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer or a fertilizer formulated for flowering plants. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, which can promote foliage growth at the expense of flowers. Deadhead spent blooms to maintain a tidy appearance, but leave the foliage until it yellows and dies back naturally in the fall, as this allows the plant to store energy for the next season’s growth. Proper Itoh Peony care is key to a flourishing display.

These peonies are hardy in USDA Zones 4-9. In colder zones, a layer of mulch around the base in late fall can provide extra winter protection. While generally pest and disease resistant, watch out for powdery mildew in humid conditions or botrytis blight, especially during wet springs. Ensure good air circulation and avoid overhead watering to minimize these issues. With proper Itoh Peony care, your hybrid peony plant will flourish and become a cherished part of your garden for decades.

Size & Details

The Itoh Peony big bareroot you will receive is a carefully selected, dormant root division, ready for optimal growth and establishment in your garden. This ensures a robust start for your plant. Once mature, these hybrid peonies typically grow to a height of 2-3 feet and spread about 3-4 feet wide, forming a beautiful, rounded bush. The large, fragrant blooms can reach impressive sizes, often 6-8 inches across, showcasing a spectacular array of petals. They have a medium growth rate, establishing themselves well within the first year and producing their first significant blooms often in the second or third year after planting Itoh Peony.

This bareroot plant offers the advantage of direct planting, allowing the roots to quickly adapt to your garden’s specific conditions. The robust nature of the bareroot ensures a strong foundation for future growth. Expect a stunning display of flowers annually once the plant has settled into its new home. The resilience and beauty of this hybrid peony plant make it a valuable addition to any perennial garden, providing a long-lasting source of color and fragrance.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this Itoh Peony get? A: A mature Itoh Peony big bareroot typically reaches a height of 2-3 feet and spreads about 3-4 feet wide. Its substantial size makes it an excellent focal point in your garden.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Itoh Peony big bareroot is an outdoor plant, specifically bred for garden landscapes. It requires outdoor conditions to thrive and produce its magnificent blooms.
• Q: How much sunlight does an Itoh Peony need? A: Itoh Peonies require at least 6 hours of full sun per day for optimal growth and abundant flowering. While they can tolerate some partial shade, especially in hot climates, more sun generally means more blooms.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, once established, the Itoh Peony big bareroot is considered relatively low maintenance. It’s known for its hardiness, disease resistance, and upright growth habit which eliminates the need for staking. Following proper Itoh Peony care will ensure its success.
• Q: What condition will the bareroot arrive in? A: Your Itoh Peony big bareroot will arrive dormant, carefully packaged and ready for planting. It may appear as a root with several ‘eyes’ or buds, which are the starting points for new growth.
• Q: When is the best time for planting Itoh Peony? A: The best time for planting Itoh Peony bareroots is typically in the fall or early spring. This allows the plant to establish its root system before the onset of extreme temperatures.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: This hybrid peony plant is cold hardy and thrives in USDA Zones 4-9. It is well-suited to withstand cold winters within these zones, often benefiting from a layer of mulch in the coldest regions.
• Q: How long until my Itoh Peony blooms? A: While some Itoh Peonies may produce a few flowers in their first year, significant blooming typically begins in the second or third year after planting Itoh Peony, as the plant establishes a strong root system.
• Q: What kind of soil does an Itoh Peony prefer? A: Itoh Peonies prefer well-draining, fertile soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Good drainage is crucial to prevent root rot.
• Q: Are Itoh Peonies deer resistant? A: Yes, Itoh Peonies are generally considered deer resistant, making them a good choice for gardens in areas where deer are a concern.