Paeonia 'White Wings'
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Paeonia 'White Wings': Pure White Singles That Stand Up to Storms
No ruffles, no frills, no forty layers of petals. 'White Wings' opens a simple white bowl with a golden centre and the bees dive in headfirst. MINIMALISM, BUT MAKE IT BUZZ.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Paeonia lactiflora 'White Wings'
- Common Name: Garden Peony
- Height: 80 cm (31 in)
- Spread: 90 cm (3 ft)
- Flowers: Single, pure white with a golden-yellow centre of stamens
- Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer (May to June)
- Foliage: Dark green and divided, staying neat after bloom
- Features: Sturdy stems, long-lived
Where to Plant: The clean single flowers suit modern plantings, white gardens, naturalistic borders and pollinator beds. It holds up well in wind and rain, so it's a good pick for exposed sites. It's long-lived, so choose a permanent spot.
Companion Plants: Aquilegia Earlybird™ Blue White flowers with the peony in May and June, its blue-and-white blooms a crisp match for the white petals. Monarda didyma takes over from June to August with red flowers at 60 to 120 cm. Up front, Dianthus Pretty Poppers® 'Kiss and Tell' adds bicolour pinks from early summer, with rebloom into early fall. The white peony acts as a calm centre while the others keep colour going all season.
Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun in rich, well-drained soil. Set the eyes no more than 5 cm (2 in) below the surface. Water well during the first season. Single flowers are light, so staking usually isn't needed. Remove spent blooms if you'd like a tidier look. Healthy foliage stays green and handsome until frost, so there's no need to cut it back early. Cut the foliage to the ground in fall and clear it away. Leave the clump in place. If it needs dividing, do it in September.
History: 'White Wings' was registered in 1949 by Hoogendoorn of the Netherlands. Its parent species, Paeonia lactiflora, grows wild in northeast Asia, and single-flowered forms like this one are close in shape to the wild plant.
Final Thoughts: Sturdy stems mean no flopping after a rainstorm, and the foliage stays tidy all summer. FINALLY, A PEONY THAT STANDS ON ITS OWN TWO FEET.
