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Key characteristics

Height: 30–36 inches tall
Width: 24–30 inches wide
Flower color: Ruby-red fully double blooms with a neat rosette form; lightly fragrant
Foliage color: Deep glossy green, divided leaves
Bloom time: Early–mid season
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low, remove spent blooms, cut foliage to ground after frost;
Growing zone: USDA zones 3a–8b
Wildlife: Fragrant blooms attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators; deer- and rabbit-resistant

Perennials

Paeonia x lactiflora 'Carol'

Carol Peony

Paeonia × lactiflora 'Carol' presents fully-double, cardinal-red blossoms arranged in a neat rosette, blooming in late spring. The petals remain uniformly red until they fall, and the flowers are supported on robust, upright stems that occasionally benefit from light staking after heavy rain. Glossy, divided foliage complements the blooms, creating a lush backdrop in garden beds or floral arrangements.

'Carol' is an heirloom hybrid rooted in early breeding efforts.

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Early–mid season

Find this plant

Works well in

Borders
Cottage Gardens
Pollinator Gardens
Cut Flower Gardens

Companion plants

Catmint · Heucheras · Lady's mantle · Hellebores · Hardy geraniums · Hostas

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.