Itoh vs Herbaceous vs Tree Peonies

Short verdict: herbaceous peonies are the classic, affordable, fragrant choice that every cold-climate garden can grow; Itoh peonies cost more but give you sturdier stems that never need staking, a longer bloom season and colors like clear yellow that herbaceous types lack; tree peonies are woody shrubs with the largest, most dramatic flowers but need a permanent spot and patience. If you can only buy one peony and your budget allows, an Itoh is the most garden-proof. If you want a hedge of cut flowers, plant herbaceous. If you want a showpiece shrub, plant a tree peony. For companion plants that carry color past peony season, browse our flowers and perennials guide.

Part of our Flowers & Perennials guide →

In this guide

1. Side-by-Side Comparison
2. Herbaceous Peonies: The Classic
3. Tree Peonies: Woody Shrubs With Giant Flowers
4. Itoh Peonies: The Hybrid That Fixed the Flop
5. Decision Factor: Size and Garden Role
6. Decision Factor: Bloom Season and Cut Flowers
7. Decision Factor: Hardiness and Climate
8. Decision Factor: Maintenance
9. Decision Factor: Pests and Diseases
10. Decision Factor: Cost and Value
11. Which Should You Choose?
12. Frequently Asked Questions

Side-by-Side Comparison

Factor	Herbaceous	Itoh (Intersectional)	Tree
Botanical background	Mostly Paeonia lactiflora and hybrids	Cross of herbaceous and tree peonies	Paeonia suffruticosa and related species
Winter habit	Dies to the ground	Dies back; short woody stem bases may persist	Woody stems stay above ground
Typical size	2–3 ft tall and wide	2.5–3 ft tall, 3–4 ft wide	3–5 ft tall, sometimes taller with age
USDA zones	3–8	4–8 (many to zone 3)	4–8
Bloom time	Late spring to early summer	Late spring, often overlapping late herbaceous	Mid to late spring, earliest
Bloom length	About 1–2 weeks per plant	Often 3–4 weeks thanks to side buds	About 1–2 weeks
Flower size	4–8 in	6–8 in	Up to 10 in or more
Colors	White, pink, red, coral; few yellows	Yellow, coral, apricot, lavender, bicolors	Widest range, including yellow and deep purple
Staking	Often needed for doubles	Rarely	No
Fall cleanup	Cut to ground	Cut to a few inches	Do not cut back
Relative cost	Lowest	Highest per plant	Moderate to high

Herbaceous Peonies: The Classic

These are the peonies of old farmhouse gardens, the ones that can outlive the people who planted them. Each fall the foliage dies back and you cut it to the ground. In spring, red shoots push up, and buds swell into the familiar fragrant blooms in late May to June in most of the US. Varieties such as ‘Sarah Bernhardt’, ‘Festiva Maxima’, ‘Karl Rosenfield’, ‘Bowl of Beauty’ and ‘Coral Charm’ are widely sold, easy to find as bare roots, and among the least expensive peonies to buy.

The downside is weak stems on many double-flowered types. A heavy bloom full of rainwater flops to the ground, so plan on grid or hoop supports; our guide to the best peony supports covers the options. Herbaceous peonies also need real winter chill to bloom well, which is why they are reliable in zones 3 to 7 and get trickier in zone 8 and warmer, where early-blooming single and Japanese forms do best. For planting depth, spacing and the full care routine, see our guide on how to grow peonies.

Tree Peonies: Woody Shrubs With Giant Flowers

Tree peonies are not trees but deciduous shrubs. Paeonia suffruticosa, the Chinese moutan peony grown for well over a thousand years in Asia, is the best-known parent. The woody stems stay standing through winter and leaf out early in spring, so tree peonies bloom ahead of the herbaceous types, often in early to mid May in zone 6. Flowers can reach dinner-plate size in silky single, semi-double and double forms, in white, pink, red, purple, near-black and yellow. American hybrids such as ‘High Noon’ (yellow) are widely available alongside Japanese and Chinese cultivars.

Tree peonies are usually sold grafted onto herbaceous peony roots. Plant the graft union 4 to 6 inches below the soil so the scion can form its own roots over time. They establish slowly, often taking three years or more to bloom heavily, and they resent being moved. Give them shelter from strong wind and late-afternoon sun in hot climates, which fades the large petals quickly. Never cut the woody stems to the ground in fall; prune only dead wood in spring once you can see which buds are live.

Itoh Peonies: The Hybrid That Fixed the Flop

Itoh, or intersectional, peonies are crosses between tree and herbaceous peonies, named after Japanese breeder Toichi Itoh, who achieved the first successful cross in the mid-20th century. They grow like herbaceous peonies, dying back in winter, but inherit the tree peony’s finely cut foliage, sturdier stems and color range. The result is a mounded plant around 2.5 to 3 feet tall that holds its large flowers upright without staking and keeps its attractive foliage clean into fall.

Mature Itohs produce many buds, including side buds that open after the main flowers, so a single plant can bloom for three weeks or more. Popular cultivars include ‘Bartzella’ (lemon yellow), ‘Cora Louise’ (white with a purple flare), ‘Julia Rose’ (cherry to apricot), ‘Garden Treasure’ (golden yellow) and ‘Keiko’ (pink). In fall, cut stems back to a few inches above the ground, leaving any woody stubs with buds intact. Their main drawback is price: Itohs are propagated by division rather than from seed and remain more expensive per plant than common herbaceous peonies.

Decision Factor: Size and Garden Role

Herbaceous peonies fit mixed borders and cutting rows, and they leave a gap in winter. Itohs act like a substantial perennial shrub, wider than tall, and work well as a specimen at the front or middle of a bed. Tree peonies become a permanent structural shrub and should be treated like one: site them as you would a small lilac or hydrangea, with room to reach 4 to 5 feet across over time.

Decision Factor: Bloom Season and Cut Flowers

Combine all three to stretch the season: tree peonies open first, early herbaceous types follow, then midseason and late herbaceous varieties and Itohs. For cut flowers, herbaceous peonies win. They have long stems, are inexpensive enough to plant in rows, and cut well at the soft “marshmallow” bud stage. Itohs and tree peonies have shorter stems and a shorter vase life, and cutting them reduces the garden display you paid for.

Decision Factor: Hardiness and Climate

Herbaceous peonies are the hardiest, happy down to zone 3 with no winter protection. Itohs are rated by most growers for zones 4 to 8, with many surviving in zone 3. Tree peonies are generally hardy to zone 4, but their exposed buds can be damaged by late spring frosts, and their early leaves may be nipped in a cold snap. In the hot, humid Southeast and the low desert, all peonies struggle; choose early herbaceous singles or Itohs and give afternoon shade.

Decision Factor: Maintenance

• Herbaceous: Install supports in early spring, deadhead, cut to the ground in fall and remove foliage to reduce botrytis.
• Itoh: Deadhead, cut back in fall. No supports. Foliage tends to stay cleaner.
• Tree: Light spring pruning of dead wood, deadheading, and occasional removal of suckers from the rootstock. No fall cutback.

All three need the same basics: at least six hours of sun, well-drained soil, and correct planting depth. Planting herbaceous and Itoh eyes deeper than about 2 inches is the most common reason for a peony that leafs out but never flowers. Our guide on why a peony is not blooming covers the other causes.

Decision Factor: Pests and Diseases

Peonies are tough plants, and deer and rabbits generally leave all three types alone. The main disease is botrytis blight, a gray mold that blackens young shoots and turns buds brown and papery in cool, wet springs. Herbaceous peonies are most often affected because their dense, floppy foliage holds moisture; Itohs, with more open growth and stiffer stems, tend to show less of it. Tree peonies can suffer stem dieback from botrytis or other fungi, so cut out any blackened wood to healthy tissue. For all three, space plants for airflow, water at the base, and remove spent foliage in fall.

Ants on buds are harmless; they feed on the sugary nectar and leave once flowers open. Powdery mildew on late-summer leaves is cosmetic. Root-knot nematodes can be an issue in sandy southern soils, another reason peonies are harder to grow in the Deep South.

Decision Factor: Cost and Value

Herbaceous bare roots are the cheapest entry point and increase steadily, so you can divide them later for free plants. Tree peonies cost more because grafting is labor-intensive and plants grow slowly. Itohs usually carry the highest price per plant, but you get a self-supporting, long-blooming plant that can be divided once it is well established. Over 20 or more years, any peony is a bargain compared with replacing annuals each spring.

Which Should You Choose?

• If you want fragrance and armloads of cut flowers on a budget: plant herbaceous peonies.
• If you hate staking or garden in a windy, rainy spot: choose an Itoh.
• If you want yellow, apricot or coral peonies: choose an Itoh or a tree peony.
• If you want a permanent flowering shrub with the biggest flowers: choose a tree peony and give it years to settle in.
• If you garden in zone 3: stick with herbaceous types first, and trial an Itoh in a sheltered spot.
• If you want the longest peony season: plant one of each, starting with a tree peony for early bloom.

Plant all three types in early fall, about six weeks before the ground freezes, so roots establish before winter. Bare roots arrive in fall; potted plants can go in during spring as well.