1 / 4

Key characteristics

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)

Perennials

Paeonia 'Julia Rose'

Julia Rose Peony

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.

Light

Full sun to part shade

Water

Average

Bloom time

Late spring to early summer

Find this plant

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.