Northwest Blooms · Perennials
Paeonia obovata
Woodland Peony
- Height
- 18–24 inches tall
- Width
- 18–24 inches wide
- Flower color
- Single blooms in shades of white to rose
- Foliage color
- Gray-green foliage
- Bloom time
- Early to mid-spring
- Light
- Prefers part shade
- Water
- Moderate moisture
- Maintenance
- Medium, remove spent flowers; cut foliage to ground after frost; mulch in fall; long-lived and rarely needs division
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 5–8
- Wildlife
- Fragrant blooms draw bees and butterflies; resistant to deer and rabbits
About this plant
Paeonia obovata is a woodland peony native to China, Japan, Korea, and parts of eastern Russia, where it thrives in forest settings during mid-spring. It produces single, cup-shaped flowers ranging from white to rose-purple, each revealing a cluster of yellow stamens at the center. The blossoms carry a mild fragrance, and after flowering, they develop distinctive starfish-like seed pods. The plant features gray-green, biternate foliage composed of oval to egg-shaped leaflets.
Paeonia obovata is well suited to shaded woodland settings, where its refined growth habit enhances the natural landscape. The foliage emerges in early spring with a soft red flush, gradually deepening to green as the season progresses. With its delicate spring flowers and distinctive late-season seed pods, this peony brings quiet beauty and layered interest throughout the growing year.
Works well in
Borders · Shade Gardens · Woodland Gardens · Pollinator Gardens · Rain Gardens
Companion plants
Bleeding hearts · Solomon's seal · Ferns · Lungworts · Wild ginger · Hellebores
Design tip
The early flowers arrive when the garden is still waking up, so give it a spot you pass often in spring. Keep it out of hot afternoon sun and layer it with woodland companions for a full, settled look.
