Northwest Blooms · Perennials
Paeonia lactiflora 'Nice Gal'
Nice Gal Peony
- Height
- 28–30 inches tall
- Width
- 28–30 inches wide
- Flower color
- Lavender‑pink to deep rose semi‑double blooms with frosted (silver‑edged) petals
- Foliage color
- Glossy medium-to-dark green
- Bloom time
- Early to mid‑season
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade (
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low, sturdy stems that stand without staking; deadhead spent flowers
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 3–8
- Wildlife
- Very attractive to pollinators including bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds; deer- and rabbit-resistant
About this plant
Paeonia lactiflora 'Nice Gal' opens in early to mid‑season with semi‑double blossoms in a soft rose‑pink that gently frost to silvery edges as the bloom matures. Each flower reveals a central tuft of golden stamens and deep-rose stigmas, exuding a mild fragrance and offering excellent performance as a cut flower.
Introduced in 1965 by William Krekler, 'Nice Gal' was honored in 2009 with the American Peony Society's Award of Landscape Merit for its reliable performance and garden appeal. It forms compact, vigorous clumps that produce abundant flowers and even sets seed, attracting pollinators throughout the bloom season. Deer-resistant and floriferous, this cultivar combines elegant coloration with dependable structural strength, making it a popular and long-lasting choice for landscape and floral use.
Works well in
Borders · Cottage Gardens · Pollinator Gardens · Hummingbird Gardens
Companion plants
Foxgloves · Bergenias · Sedums · Columbines · Lungworts · Daylilies
Design tip
Foliage and form do most of the work here, so lean on texture and repetition rather than one flowering moment. It takes sun or light shade, which makes it useful along the changing light of a bed edge or a partly shaded border.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at Sebright Gardens.
