A Florist's Complete Guide to Peony Varieties and Colours

Peonies are among the most beloved and commercially significant flowers in the floral industry. Their lush, layered blooms, intoxicating fragrance, and extraordinary range of form and colour make them perennial favourites for weddings, luxury events, and everyday floristry. Understanding the distinctions between peony varieties — both botanical and cultivar-level — allows a florist to source more intelligently, design more deliberately, and communicate more confidently with clients.

The Three Main Species Groups

Before diving into individual varieties, it helps to understand that cultivated peonies fall into three broad botanical categories, each with distinct characteristics relevant to floristry.

Herbaceous Peonies (Paeonia lactiflora and hybrids) are the most commercially prevalent. They die back to the ground each winter and regrow in spring, producing the classic, globe-shaped blooms most people picture when they think of peonies. The vast majority of cut peony varieties sold through wholesale channels are herbaceous.

Tree Peonies (Paeonia suffruticosa) are woody shrubs that retain their structure year-round. Their blooms are typically larger, flatter, and more translucent than herbaceous varieties, with a silkier petal texture. They are far less common in commercial cut flower supply, though specialist growers do offer them. Their vase life is shorter, typically three to five days, making them a premium, handle-with-care product.

Intersectional or Itoh Peonies are hybrids between herbaceous and tree peonies, developed by Japanese horticulturalist Toichi Itoh in the 1940s. They combine the large, exotic blooms of tree peonies with the reliable hardiness of herbaceous varieties. Yellow and deep coral Itoh peonies have become increasingly available in the cut flower market and command premium prices.

Flower Form Classifications

Within herbaceous and Itoh peonies, blooms are classified by their flower form, which directly affects how they look in an arrangement and how they open over time.

Single forms have one or two rows of broad petals surrounding a prominent central boss of golden stamens. They are open, airy, and naturalistic — ideal for garden-style and wildflower-inspired arrangements. They open quickly and have a shorter display window than fuller forms.

Japanese (or Anemone) forms feature outer guard petals encircling a centre of modified stamens called staminodes, which are narrow and petal-like but do not fully develop into petals. The effect is feathery and textured. These are elegant in contemporary designs and open at a moderate pace.

Semi-double forms have multiple rows of petals but retain visible stamens at the centre. They sit between the openness of singles and the fullness of doubles, offering a relaxed, romantic look that photographs beautifully.

Double forms are the classic florist's peony — fully packed with petals, revealing little or no stamens, forming a dense, rounded bloom. These take the longest to open and have the best vase longevity once fully developed.

Bomb forms are a subtype of double, characterised by flat outer guard petals with a dramatically raised, domed centre of tightly packed inner petals. They create a striking two-tone or textural effect and are popular in bridal work.

Colour Families and Key Varieties

White and Cream

White peonies carry associations of purity, elegance, and refinement. They are the single most requested peony colour for weddings and sit beautifully alongside almost any other flower or foliage.

'Duchesse de Nemours' is one of the most enduring white varieties in commercial floristry, dating to 1856. It produces large, fully double blooms with a creamy white outer layer that fades to pure white at the centre, with a faint, sweet fragrance. It opens reliably and has a good vase life.

'Shirley Temple' opens a soft blush-cream and fades to near-white, making it a transitional bloom that bridges the white and blush categories. It is a bomb-double form with excellent stem length.

'Festiva Maxima' is a classic double white with occasional crimson flecks at the centre of the bloom — a distinguishing characteristic that adds subtle interest. It has a strong, pleasant fragrance and is widely available.

'Jan van Leeuwen' is a Japanese-form white peony with a yellow staminode centre, offering a more open and contemporary alternative to the classic double. It is particularly effective in modern, editorial designs.

'Moon of Nippon' is a single-form white with a golden stamen centre, beloved for naturalistic and garden-style arrangements where airiness is desired.

Blush and Pale Pink

Blush peonies are arguably the most commercially popular colour in the entire peony range. They photograph exceptionally well, work across virtually every wedding aesthetic, and have a softness that appeals to a broad client base.

'Sarah Bernhardt' is the undisputed workhorse of commercial floristry — the world's most widely grown cut peony. It produces large, fully double blooms in a warm apple-blossom pink that fades gracefully to soft blush as it opens. The fragrance is strong and classic. Nearly every wholesale supplier carries it throughout the peony season.

'Bowl of Cream' straddles the blush-white boundary, opening a very pale blush and developing into an almost pure white double bloom of exceptional size. It is a premium variety with reliable performance.

'Solange' is a bomb-double in warm blush-cream with peachy undertones — a sophisticated choice that reads differently from the cooler pink of Sarah Bernhardt. It pairs beautifully with copper foliage and apricot roses.

'Coral Charm' (see also the coral section) can read as blush in its early-opening stages, offering a useful transitional option.

'Myrtle Gentry' is a fragrant, pale blush double that opens large and flat. It is popular among florists who prefer a more loosely structured bloom.

Mid and Deep Pink

Moving deeper into the pink spectrum, these varieties provide more saturated colour — ideal for clients seeking drama without the boldness of red.

'Karl Rosenfield' is a deep, vivid rose-pink double that holds its colour well throughout its vase life. It is a strong, reliable commercial variety with long stems and excellent opening behaviour.

'Felix Crousse' produces fully double, carmine-rose blooms with a raspberry fragrance. The colour is warm and rich, bridging deep pink and red, and it performs well in large-scale event work.

'Monsieur Jules Elie' is a classic bomb-double in rich rose-pink with a silver sheen on the petal edges. It is highly fragrant and was for many decades one of the most popular peonies in European floristry.

'Pink Hawaiian Coral' is a semi-double to double variety in warm, saturated salmon-pink — richer and more complex in tone than standard pink varieties. It is particularly popular in summer wedding work.

'Pillow Talk' is a contemporary favourite in soft, warm mid-pink, known for its exceptionally large, rounded double blooms and long stems. It has become a highly sought-after wedding variety.

'Kansas' is a deep magenta-rose double, among the most saturated pink peonies available commercially. It provides strong colour impact and is useful for bold, maximalist arrangements.

Coral and Peach

Coral and peach peonies have surged in popularity over the past decade, driven by the broader trend toward warm, earthy tonal palettes in wedding and event design.

'Coral Charm' is the defining coral peony of modern floristry. It opens from deep coral-orange buds and fades progressively through salmon to soft peach-cream as the bloom matures — offering three distinct looks from a single stem. It is a semi-double form with exceptional visual impact. Managing its colour stage is an art: buy in bud for deep coral, buy more open for peach tones.

'Coral Sunset' is similar in character to Coral Charm but with a slightly warmer, more orange-toned coral and a fuller, more double form. It fades to cream-peach and is equally prized in warm-palette floristry.

'Salmon Dream' is a soft, peachy-salmon double that sits between blush and coral, appealing to clients who want warmth without the intensity of true coral.

'Cora Louise' is an Itoh hybrid with warm white petals flushed with lavender and a vivid magenta-flare base — not a standard peach, but a nuanced, complex bloom that deserves attention from designers working with warm neutrals.

Red and Deep Burgundy

Red peonies are less common in the commercial cut flower market than pink varieties but provide invaluable richness and depth in arrangements.

'Red Charm' is the benchmark red peony — a bomb-double form in deep, true crimson with excellent stem length and vase life. It is widely available during peak season and is the standard choice for florists seeking a reliable red.

'Buckeye Belle' is a semi-double with deep mahogany-red petals and a golden stamen centre. Its open form and jewel-dark colouring make it particularly striking in naturalistic and autumnal designs.

'Black Beauty' and similar dark cultivars push into near-black burgundy territory — extraordinary in high-drama, editorial arrangements and deeply effective alongside dark foliage such as Cotinus or black Sambucus.

'Chocolate Soldier' is a Japanese-form peony with dark maroon petals and golden staminodes — the contrast between the dark petals and bright centre gives it an almost exotic quality.

Lavender and Mauve

True lavender and mauve peonies are relatively rare and command premium prices precisely because of their scarcity and the difficulty of achieving true purple tones in peonies.

'Do Tell' is a Japanese-form peony with pale pink outer petals and a dramatic centre of deep rose-mauve staminodes — the overall impression shifts between pink and mauve depending on light conditions. It is highly sought after by florists working in romantic and maximalist styles.

'Lavender' (sometimes listed as 'Lavender Whisper' or similar cultivar names) — true lavender peonies are uncommon. Many flowers marketed as "lavender peony" are in practice a soft mauve-pink. Always request samples from suppliers before committing to large quantities for an event.

'Amalia Olson' is a double white with strong lavender-lilac shading at the petal bases, providing a subtle violet quality in the overall bloom colour.

'Nosegay' is a single-form peony in soft mauve-pink, delicate and refined, excellent for garden-style arrangements where its open form can breathe.

Yellow — The Rarest Colour

True yellow in peonies is found almost exclusively in tree peonies and Itoh hybrids, as herbaceous peonies carry no genes for yellow pigmentation.

'Bartzella' is the most commercially significant yellow peony in the cut flower market. An Itoh hybrid, it produces large, fully double, canary-yellow blooms with a subtle red flare at the base of the petals. It is intensely fragrant, has excellent vase life, and commands a very high wholesale price. It is a showstopper in any arrangement and is particularly effective in warm summer wedding palettes.

'Julia Rose' is another Itoh hybrid that opens coral-yellow and fades through peachy tones to cream, offering a chameleon-like colour journey similar to Coral Charm but in the yellow-peach spectrum.

'Garden Treasure' is a yellow Itoh with slightly frilled petals, a bit softer and less intense in colour than Bartzella — useful when a more understated yellow is required.

Sourcing and Seasonality

Peonies have a famously compressed season in temperate climates. In the United Kingdom, the domestic peony season runs roughly from late May through July, with peak availability in June. Growers in the Netherlands supply heavily during this window through auction. For year-round supply, imports arrive from New Zealand and Chile during the northern hemisphere's autumn and winter months, though these typically have shorter vase lives due to extended transit and cold-chain handling.

For specialist varieties — particularly Itoh hybrids like Bartzella, and niche cultivars like Do Tell or Chocolate Soldier — building direct relationships with specialist peony growers is essential, as these rarely appear in standard wholesale channels in meaningful quantities.

Conditioning, Handling, and Storage

Peonies require attentive conditioning to perform well. They are sold and shipped in tight bud form, which maximises transit life but means florists must manage the opening process carefully.

Re-cut stems at a 45-degree angle and remove all foliage below the waterline. Place immediately into fresh water with professional flower food. For slow-opening varieties or where delayed blooming is required, store at 2–4°C in dry wrapping — peonies can be held in dry cold storage for up to four weeks without water if properly cooled. To accelerate opening, move to a warmer environment (18–22°C) and place in warm water.

Check stems for the characteristic "squish test" at the bud — a bud that gives slightly when gently squeezed will open successfully. A hard, tight bud that does not yield may have been cut too early and may not open fully.

Peonies are not ethylene-sensitive to the same degree as some flowers, but they should still be stored away from ethylene-producing fruit. Botrytis (grey mould) is the primary disease concern — ensure good air circulation in cold storage and avoid water sitting on petals.

Design Considerations by Variety

Not all peonies behave the same way in an arrangement, and understanding these differences saves significant frustration.

Single and Japanese forms open very quickly once brought to room temperature and are best used for same-day or next-day work. Double and bomb forms open more slowly and are excellent choices for multi-day events where longevity matters. Itoh hybrids generally have outstanding vase life compared to herbaceous varieties. Tree peonies are strictly day-of flowers for events, given their three-to-five-day maximum vase window and sensitivity to handling.

Heavier double varieties such as Sarah Bernhardt and Karl Rosenfield benefit from support wiring or being placed in dense mechanics, as their full blooms can cause stems to bow under their own weight.

Retail Pricing and Client Communication

Peonies are a premium seasonal product, and pricing should reflect their handling intensity, seasonality, and the specific variety's rarity. Standard commercial varieties like Sarah Bernhardt and Karl Rosenfield should be priced to reflect their quality and stem cost. Specialist varieties — particularly Itoh hybrids and rare Japanese forms — should be priced significantly higher, with clear communication to clients about why they command a premium.

Educate clients on the opening behaviour of peonies, particularly that tight buds will open over several days. Many clients unfamiliar with peonies are alarmed by receiving what appears to be a bunch of cabbages — reassuring them that this is correct, and that the blooms will transform within 24 to 72 hours, is an important part of the retail conversation.

Peonies reward the florist who invests in understanding their extraordinary breadth — from the candlelit crimson of Red Charm to the fading coral sunrise of Coral Sunset, from the ghostly translucence of a tree peony to the sunny abundance of Bartzella. No other cut flower offers such diversity of form, fragrance, and colour within a single genus, and no other flower inspires quite the same depth of passion in both florists and their clients.