Northwest Blooms · Perennials
Paeonia 'Julia Rose'
Julia Rose Peony
- Height
- 24–36 inches tall
- Width
- 24–36 inches wide
- Flower color
- Cherry‑red buds open to apricot‑peach with scarlet edges, aging to yellow/pale pink
- Foliage color
- Glossy medium to dark green
- Bloom time
- Late spring to early summer
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Average
- Maintenance
- Low; remove spent blooms, cut foliage to ground after frost; compost annually; rarely needs division
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4–9 (some sources note zones 4–8)
About this plant
Paeonia 'Julia Rose' is an Itoh hybrid semi-double peony variety. It produces large, rounded blooms that open from rich cherry-red buds and gradually fade through warm shades of apricot, salmon, and rose before settling into soft yellow. Multiple color stages often appear on the same plant, adding seasonal interest. The blossoms are lightly fragrant and appear in late spring to early summer. Broad petals form a loose, layered structure around golden stamens, held on sturdy stems that remain upright without support.
Julia Rose' combines strong growth with excellent ornamental traits. Its foliage is deeply divided and retains a healthy, green appearance throughout the season, providing structure even after flowering ends. The plant offers good performance as a cut flower, with blooms that hold well in vases and add soft, evolving tones to floral arrangements.
Works well in
Borders · Cottage Gardens · Cut Flower Gardens
Companion plants
Hostas · Ferns · Astilbes · Foxgloves · Bergenias · Sedums
Design tip
The long summer show pairs well with plants that peak earlier, keeping one area interesting for months. Because it is easy about light, use it to carry a planting from a sunny end of the bed into the shadier side.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at Sebright Gardens.
