Peonies bring elegance to any garden with their large, often fragrant blooms and lush foliage. White peonies hold a special appeal, symbolizing purity and grace. Their impressive size and varied forms make them a focal point, providing beauty from late spring into early summer. The diversity within white peonies ensures a perfect variety for almost any garden setting.
Understanding Peony Types
Peonies are categorized into three types: herbaceous, tree, and Itoh (intersectional), each with distinct growth habits. Herbaceous peonies grow from underground roots, sending up new stems each spring that die back to the ground in winter. They typically reach 2 to 3 feet tall and bloom from late spring to early summer.
Tree peonies are woody shrubs with permanent stems that remain above ground year-round, offering a more structural presence. They can grow 3 to 7 feet tall and typically bloom earlier than herbaceous varieties. Itoh peonies are a hybrid, combining traits from both herbaceous and tree peonies, with strong stems that hold large blooms well and foliage that dies back in winter. They offer a prolonged blooming season.
Classic White Herbaceous Peony Varieties
Herbaceous peonies are popular for their classic charm and abundant blooms. ‘Duchesse de Nemours’, a historic variety introduced in 1856, is known for its sweet fragrance and full, double, crown-shaped flowers that are creamy-white with hints of yellow near the center. This peony reaches about 30 inches tall and blooms in late spring to early summer. Its strong stems generally support the large flowers well.
‘Shirley Temple’ opens from soft pink buds to large, double, pure white blooms. This variety offers a delicate fragrance and robust growth, reaching 30 to 36 inches. It is a dependable bloomer.
‘Bowl of Cream’ features exceptionally large, creamy-white, fully double blossoms, often 6 to 8 inches in diameter, resembling a full bowl of cream. These slightly fragrant blooms are held on strong, upright stems, making them excellent for cut flower arrangements.
‘Festiva Maxima’, an heirloom introduced in 1851, has enormous, fragrant, double white flowers accented with crimson flecks on the inner petals. Its vigorous plants produce abundant blossoms, often requiring staking due to heavy flower heads.
‘White Cap’ presents a unique Japanese-type bloom, with large magenta outer petals surrounding a fluffy center of creamy white and pink petaloids. This fragrant variety is a reliable choice for cut flowers and grows 2 to 3 feet tall.
Elegant White Tree Peony Varieties
Tree peonies provide a distinct woody structure and often feature larger, more dramatic blooms. ‘White Phoenix’, also known as ‘Feng Dan Bai’, is a white tree peony with single, cup-shaped flowers that often open with a pale pink flush before maturing to pure white. These early blooming flowers can reach 10 inches in diameter and possess a delicate, sweet fragrance. This vigorous variety forms an upright shrub, growing up to 5 feet tall.
‘Gessekai’, which translates to “Moon World,” features pure white, often semi-double to double blooms. These large flowers stand prominently on woody stems, contributing to the plant’s shrub-like form. Tree peonies typically bloom in mid to late spring, earlier than many herbaceous types, and their woody stems offer year-round garden interest.
Unique White Itoh Peony Varieties
Itoh peonies, or Intersectional peonies, combine the robust nature of herbaceous peonies with the large, often uniquely colored blooms and strong stems of tree peonies. These hybrids form a tidy, mounded bush and offer a longer blooming season.
‘Cora Louise’ is a white Itoh variety featuring large, semi-double flowers, 8 to 10 inches wide, with pure white petals that reveal dark lavender to purple flares at their heart. These pleasantly fragrant blooms are held on sturdy, erect stems that do not require staking, even with up to 50 blossoms on a mature plant.
While ‘Bartzella’ is primarily known for its brilliant yellow blooms, some forms may present creamy white to light buttery yellow tones, with a subtle lemon-tinged center and a rose-purple flare. This Itoh produces numerous large, fragrant, semi-double to double flowers on strong stems that do not flop. Itoh peonies have attractive, deeply divided foliage that maintains its appeal throughout the growing season.
Choosing the Perfect White Peony for Your Garden
Selecting the ideal white peony involves considering several factors. Bloom time is important; early, mid-season, and late-season varieties allow for an extended display of flowers. The mature size and growth habit should align with available space and desired garden structure.
Gardeners should assess light conditions, as most peonies prefer full sun, though some tolerate partial shade in hotter climates. Personal aesthetic preferences, such as pure white versus creamy white tones, or single versus double bloom forms, will also guide your selection. Considering your climate zone is important for proper establishment and reliable flowering.