Shirley Temple Peony

Sweet and delightful! Layers and layers of frills and ruffles! Shirly Temple was an adorable young actress and the Peony that bears her namesake is no different!

The Shirley Temple Peony, (Paeonia lactiflora 'Shirley Temple'), has double blooms and attractive foliage that adds so much charm and delight to any garden!

The enjoyable blooms emerge a light pink, or with just barely a baby pink blush when they first emerge, then lighten to ivory-white as they mature. Delicate, gossamer petals glisten in the sun, expanding into so many ruffled layers that you won't be able to resist watching them dance in your garden!

The Shirley Temple has full, 4-6" wide, double flowers. Appearing in late spring or early summer, they are held above lush, deep-green, lobed foliage. The centers of each bloom are splashed with bright pink highlights and stamen that amplify the delicate pink and ivory of the petals.

Carrying a true, sweet fragrance, Shirly Temple will have you delighted with its perfume and flouncy petals. Pollinators will also be drawn to the sight!

Peony has strong stems that resist drooping in storms and rain however, will prefer some support if your area is prone to strong storms and heavy rainfall. These strong stems, combined with its beauty and fragrance, Shirley Temple is a wonderful long-lasting cut flower for your vase arrangements. Just a few will perfume your space.

Early summer brings beautiful, glossy, dark-green, foliage which adorns this small shrub until fall. Even without blooms, the Peony is an amazing backdrop in the garden to highlight your other summer blooms.

Highly rabbit and deer resistant, both of these uninvited guests tend to pass it by. Leaving Shirley Temple alone to be a playful and lovely addition to your garden.

How to Use Shirley Temple Peony In The Landscape

Peonies have long conjured images of idyllic cottage gardens full of fluttering butterflies. And no boisterous English border or mixed planting can be without one! Plant Shirley Temple among other spring-blooming bulbs, perennials or interspersed among other small shrubs.

Peony is both romantic and an old-fashioned beauty that never goes out of style, beautifully conjuring images of romance, frilly spring dresses, and warmer spring days. Roses and Tulips, Iris and Hollyhocks are lovely companions in the garden bed.

She looks darling planted among other Peony in large drifts of like blooms! Planting Peony with other types of Peony that bloom earlier and later in the spring, will extend your access to the fragrant display!

They are simple to grow and can be used in many ways, including mass plantings, specimens, or hedges. Filling the landscape with a sweet, delicate fragrance and strong foliage presence for the rest of the year. The deep-green foliage looks wonderful long after the blooms have faded, and also serves as a playful backdrop for other smaller plantings and perennials throughout the summer months.

The gleaming blooms harmonize in any formal or informal garden setting, suffusing wonderfully with every other color and type of flower! Whether still blush pink or after they've faded to buff white, the fully double flowers just seem to work beautifully everywhere!

Plant Peony among spring bulbs to extend your waves spring of color and fragrance. Or a ring of Peony around your accent trees and shrubs. Wildflowers and Peony are a natural pairing, complementing each other in color, playfulness and texture.

A welcoming sight every mid to late spring, no garden should be without one of these traditional spring plants. Cutting gardens are of course the obvious choice for a few Peonies because their subtle color and enticing fragrance are a must-have for bridal bouquets and floral arrangements alike!

Imagine a border of giddy Shirly Temples lining your drive or walk, entertaining both visitors and yourself with their beckoning fragrance! Rows of Peony along your garden beds will act as facer plants for larger 'leggy' shrubs and fill your garden beds until the summer blooms can take over.

Plant a few close to your seating areas and near a sunny patio, that way you will be sure to never miss a single whiff of the sweet scent from these fragrant flowers.

Nothing is lovelier than a bouquet of sweet-smelling blooms in your bouquets, or single bloom floating serenely in a bubble bowl.

#ProPlantTips For Care

Shirley Temple is a herbaceous Peony that will grow up to 3 feet tall about 2-3 feet wide. It has a robust, upright-growing nature and is tolerant of a wide range of conditions.

Doing remarkably well in both full sun and partial shade, the glossy leaves shine in the sun and the satiny blooms seem to shine!

Incredibly hardy and tough, Peony is widely adaptable to their surroundings and changes in their environment. Forming a neat and lush clump that won't stray from where it is planted, there is no need for division, Peony can be left undisturbed for years!

Adaptive to a wide variety of soils, Peony root systems will always need well-drained soil. Not particular about soil type, they prefer rich, organic soil. However, soggy soil and wet conditions will cause your Peony to chance root rot.

Shirley Temple may be cute and wholesome, but is also extremely cold tolerant! Northern gardeners to winter hardiness zones of 3 and up will be delighted to know how tough this plant is! However, even warmer growing zones up to 8 will get to enjoy these dainty blooms skipping merrily in their gardens!

After the plants have been subjected to frost, herbaceous Peonies typically die back to the ground. For best results, once the foliage has turned yellow and brown, prune them back to the ground and remove and dispose of the debris to prevent overwintering fungal diseases.

Very hardy and extremely long-lived, Peony shrubs have stood the test of time. These tough plants have been known to live for 50 years! Our love for them hasn't waivered much either, considering these wonderful plants have been around for so long!

Bare root Peonies are shipped as nice 3-5 eye bare root divisions. Their woody roots are not uniform, so it is normal for each to look slightly different.

Plant with the eyes just below the surface of the soil with the woody roots spread out underneath. Once buried, water and mulch thoroughly.

Call to order a cheery Shirley Temple Peony for your garden, from the expert growers at Nature Hills Nursery, and start adding some darling ruffles and frills to your space today!