Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Paeonia x suffruticosa ‘Zi Er Qiao’
Purple Butterfly Tree Peony
- Family
- Paeoniaceae
- Height
- 4 to 6 feet
- Width
- 3 to 4 feet
- Flower color
- Rich purple
- Foliage color
- Deep green
- Bloom time
- Mid to late spring
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low; remove spent blooms, prune in late season
- Wildlife
- Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
About this plant
Paeonia x suffruticosa 'Zi Er Qiao', also known as the Purple Butterfly Tree Peony, is a deciduous shrub admired for its magnificent purple blooms and elegant foliage. The large, semi-double to double flowers, reaching up to 8 to 10 inches in diameter, have a rich, deep purple color and a delicate, sweet fragrance. Flowering in mid to late spring, the blooms last for several weeks. The deeply lobed, dark green leaves provide a lush, dense backdrop, enhancing the vivid color of the flowers and remaining attractive throughout the growing season.
Thriving in full sun to partial shade, 'Zi Er Qiao' makes a striking focal point in borders, mixed beds, and as a specimen plant, pairing beautifully with other spring-flowering plants. Its structured growth habit and dramatic blooms are well-suited for formal gardens, and its appeal to pollinators enhances its value in wildlife-friendly gardens, promoting biodiversity.
Works well in
Sun Gardens · Borders · Cut Flower Gardens · Pollinator Gardens
Companion plants
Yucca · New Zealand flax · Ice plant · Red hot poker · Crocosmias · Smoke bush
Design tip
Allow ‘Zi Er Qiao’ enough open space for its large framework to develop into a substantial garden presence. Its large flowers and dense foliage give it considerable visual weight, so positioning it where the entire shrub can be viewed will make the most of its dramatic spring display.
