Paeonia 'Kansas'

Paeonia 'Kansas': Bold Beauty in Brilliant Magenta

Striking and statuesque, Paeonia 'Kansas' produces large, fully double blooms in saturated magenta-red, glowing with intensity in the early summer sun. Each petal is broad and slightly ruffled, creating a dramatic, rose-like flower atop strong, upright stems. This classic garden peony is both eye-catching and enduring—a vivid splash of colour that commands the border.

Plant Characteristics:

• Height: 85–95 cm
• Spread: 80–90 cm
• Flower Colour: Deep magenta-red; fully double with a rounded, rose-like form
• Flowering Period: Early to mid-summer
• Foliage: Dark green, glossy and bushy, with excellent garden presence
• Sunlight Requirements: Full sun to part shade
• Soil Requirements: Rich, moist, well-drained soil; tolerates clay with improved drainage

Uses and Benefits: Paeonia 'Kansas' is a vibrant focal point for perennial beds, cottage gardens, and cutting displays. Its intense colouring pairs well with cooler tones, whites, and silvers, and its upright habit ensures it holds its place among mixed plantings. Long-lived, deer-resistant, and dependable, it provides early summer drama with little fuss. The blooms are long-lasting in the vase and hold up well outdoors, even in unpredictable weather.

Companion Plants: Pair Paeonia 'Kansas' with Veronica 'Royal Candles', whose vivid blue spires enhance the peony’s rich magenta and offer structural contrast. Add Geranium 'Boom Chocolatta' for finely textured foliage and dusky purple blooms that deepen the planting’s drama. Complete the trio with Pennisetum 'Hameln', a compact ornamental grass with graceful seed heads that introduce softness and motion while thriving in similar sun and soil conditions.

Care Instructions: Plant in full sun for best flowering, though it will tolerate light afternoon shade. Ensure soil is fertile and drains well—raised beds or amended clay are ideal. Water during dry periods, especially in the first year. Deadhead after bloom and cut foliage to the ground in autumn. Avoid planting too deep; buds should be just below the soil surface. Peonies prefer not to be moved once established.

History: Paeonia 'Kansas' is a beloved American cultivar introduced by Bigger in 1940. It received the American Peony Society Gold Medal in 1957 and remains a top choice for gardeners seeking vibrant colour, floriferous performance, and heritage reliability.

Final Thoughts: Radiant and robust, Paeonia 'Kansas' brings bold confidence to the early summer garden—an unforgettable display of saturated colour and classic form.