Sarah Bernhardt Peony

If Peonies are the queens of the garden, then Sarah Bernhardt Peony (Paeonia lactiflora 'Sarah Bernhardt') is the queen mother!

Named after the French actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Sarah Bernhardt was called "the queen of the pose and the princess of the gesture". This aptly named Peony will pose as gorgeously in your garden as this actress did!

These mammoth pink, double flowers are packed with ruffled petals and so incredibly fragrant. The center is a darker pink and each delicate petal fades to light baby pink. Butterflies and pollinators will adore these blooms as much as you will!

First grown over 100 years ago, this beauty hasn't been improved upon, why would you improve perfection? Consistently rated as one of the most popular of the Double Peonies. Not bad for a Centenarian!

This gorgeous lady produces very large, 9-inch wide, soft pink flowers, perfectly formed with a great Peony scent. Delicate, gossamer petals glisten in the sun, expanding into so many ruffled layers that you won't be able to tear your eyes away!

Held above lush, deep-green, lobed foliage. 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. 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.

Even without blooms, the Peony is an amazing backdrop in the garden to highlight your other summer blooms. These strong stems, combined with its beauty and fragrance, Sarah Bernhardt is a wonderful long-lasting cut flower for your vase arrangements. Just a few will perfume your whole space.

Highly rabbit and deer resistant, both of these uninvited guests tend to pass it by. Leaving Sarah Bernhardt alone to brighten your garden.

How to Use Sarah Bernhardt 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 Sarah Bernhardt among other spring-blooming bulbs, perennials or interspersed among other small shrubs always looks amazing!

Peony is both romantic and an old-fashioned beauty and never goes out of style! Beautifully conjuring images of romance, billowing gowns, and more opulent ages. Roses and Tulips, Iris and Hollyhocks are lovely companions in the garden bed.

Sarah Bernhardt looks lovely planted among other Peony in large drifts of similar 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 gleaming blooms harmonize in any formal or informal garden setting, suffusing wonderfully with every other color and type of flower!

Plant Peony among early and mid-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!

Sarah Bernhardt Peony flowers can't be beaten. Florists charge upwards of $20 a stem for these in their floral displays. You can have armloads of them right outside your door! Nothing is lovelier than a bouquet of sweet-smelling blooms in your bouquets, or single bloom floating serenely in a bubble bowl.

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.

#ProPlantTips For Care

Peonies will tolerate some drought but prefer moist, fertile, well-drained soil and full sun. Incredibly hardy and tough, Peony is widely adaptable to their surroundings and changes in their environment.

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

Sarah Bernhardt looks delicate and elegant, 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 gleaming in their gardens!

There is usually no need to remove spent blooms when they are done however, you can deadhead in early summer for a cleaner appearance the rest of the growing season. 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!

After the plants have been subjected to frost, herbaceous perennial 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!

Often peonies take a few years to get established when they're planted from tubers or bare-root. With Nature Hills, there is no waiting! We send plants ready to burst open in bloom for you - often as soon as the first season they're planted.

Bare root Peonies are shipped as nice 3-5 eye bare root divisions. Their woody roots are not uniform, it is normal for each root to look slightly different. Plant with the eyes just below surface level with the woody roots spread out underneath. Once buried, water and mulch thoroughly.

Call to order a cheery Sarah Bernhardt Peony for your garden, from the expert growers at Nature Hills Nursery, and start adding some elegant old-fashioned grace to your garden beds today!