Shirley Temple Peony

Shirley Temple Peony (Paeonia lactiflora 'Shirley Temple')

Shirley Temple Peony brings a bright, elegant bloom season to sunny borders with flowers that feel timeless and easy to pair. It is a long-lived perennial that settles in and improves each year, building a fuller clump and producing more blooms over time. The light bloom color lifts mixed plantings and works beautifully in calm palettes alongside blues, purples, and fresh spring greens. If you want a classic peony that looks polished in the landscape and makes exceptional cut flowers, this one is an excellent choice.

Distinctive Features

This herbaceous peony forms a sturdy mound of deep green, finely cut foliage and produces large, full double blooms in late spring to early summer. Shirley Temple is known for soft blush buds that open to creamy white flowers, creating a refined, luminous look as the blooms mature. The flower form is lush and ruffled, delivering the traditional peony style many gardeners want in borders and cutting gardens. After flowering, the foliage remains attractive through summer, keeping borders looking full and finished.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun to part sun, with at least 6 hours of sun for best flowering.
• Soil: Rich, well-drained soil is ideal, with compost added to improve structure and drainage.
• Water: Water regularly during establishment, then provide consistent moisture during dry stretches, avoiding soggy soil.
• USDA Zones: 3 to 8.
• Planting Depth: Set eyes just below the soil surface to support reliable blooming.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Plant where the creamy blooms can be appreciated up close and become a refined spring highlight.
• Perennial Borders: Use to add a bright, classic bloom season and lush green structure among companion plants.
• Cut Flowers: Grow in a cutting garden for large blooms that create a polished indoor arrangement.
• Foundation Planting: Place in front of evergreens or shrubs to create a layered look with a bright spring highlight.

Low Maintenance Care

• Watering: Water deeply during dry spells, especially in spring as buds form and after flowering as roots store energy.
• Staking: Support heavy blooms with rings or stakes to keep flowers upright after rain.
• Feeding: Top-dress with compost in spring and avoid heavy nitrogen that can reduce flowering.
• Fall Cleanup: Cut stems back to the ground after frost and remove debris to keep the planting clean.

Why Choose Shirley Temple Peony?

• Blush to White Blooms: Flowers mature to a creamy white look that brightens late spring borders.
• Classic Double Form: Ruffled blooms deliver the traditional peony texture and presence gardeners love.
• Long Lived Perennial: Establishes into a clump that returns reliably and improves over time.
• Great for Arrangements: Elegant blooms hold well in vases and bring the garden indoors.

Shirley Temple Peony is a rewarding choice for gardeners who want a bright, classic peony with long-term reliability. Give it sun, well-drained soil, and a permanent home where it can mature without disturbance. As the clump strengthens each year, it will deliver bigger bloom seasons and a lush, finished presence that keeps borders looking composed through summer.