Paeonia suffrutcosa 'Shima Nishiki' (Tree peony)

Shimanishiki Tree Peony features bold lightly-scented ruby-red flowers with white streaks at the ends of the branches from mid to late spring. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has green foliage throughout the season. The narrow compound leaves do not develop any appreciable fall colour. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.

Shimanishiki Tree Peony will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.