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Coral Charm peony

Coral Charm peonies are one of the most popular peonies in the garden centers over the last few years – and for good reason!

Coral Charm peony is a peach-coral peony cultivar with large, semi double, bowl shaped blooms. This variety blooms early in the peony season, with a lovely fragrant bloom. Plants grow about 36″ tall, with an overall foliage width of 24″-36″ wide. The Coral Charm peony was bred in the USA by Samuel Wissing in 1964. Coral Charm peony is a hybrid Paeonia cultivar.

Read on to learn all about Coral Charm peonies and important gardening tips!

Coral Charm peony: The basics

Coral Charm Peonies were introduced by famed peony breeder Samuel Wissing in 1964. The Coral Charm Peony received the American Peony Society Gold Metal in 1986 and went on to receive the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 2012 by the American Peony Society. Samuel Wissing also bred this popular Coral Sunset peony around the same time.

The Coral Charm is a semi-double type of peony with blooms that are 5″-7″ wide. The petals on the outside are wide and cupped, while the inner petals are narrow and more pointed. The lovely fragrance makes these flowers gorgeous in the garden, perfect for pollinators, and lovely as cut flowers in bouquets.

Coral charm peony plant for sale

Coral Charm peonies grow to be about 36″ tall. When the peony roots become well-established, the foliage can cover a spread of 24″-36″ wide. The glossy dark green foliage is highly ornamental, turning yellow-red in the fall. Coral Charm peonies are common because of how easy they are to care for and because of how attractive they are.

Coral charm peony
Coral charm peony

What type of peonies are Coral Charm peonies?

The Coral Charm Peony (Paeonia ‘Coral Charm’) are herbaceous perennial peony plant with semi-double peony flowers that bloom late midseason.

Peony blooms come in six main flower types: Single, Anemone, Japanese, Semi-Double, Bombe, and Full Double. Peonies like Coral Charm which are considered to be semi-double have more petal bulk than single-petal varieties, but not as many interior transformed petals as a full double bloom.

Peonies come in three main types: tree peonies, herbaceous peonies, and intersectional peonies. Coral Charm peonies are herbaceous peonies, so they’re perennials with foliage that will die in late fall. Even though the deep green leaves die back, the peony roots remain alive while dormant in the earth and will sprout new stems in early spring.

Coral charm peony
Coral charm peony

How to plant & grow Coral Charm peonies?

Coral Charm peonies are most commonly sold as bare root plants but are sometimes available as potted peonies at local nurseries in the spring.

Plant the Coral Charm peonies in an area where the soil drains water easily and where the leaves of the plant can receive full sun for 6-8 hours per day. Bare root peonies should be planted with the “eyes” (buds) at a depth of 1″, facing upwards. Here are videos showing how to plant both bare-root peonies and potted peonies:

Coral charm peonies prefer full sun. In areas with extreme heat, partial shade could be beneficial. For the most part, however, these peonies enjoy the warm, bright full sun.

The peony roots need one inch of water per week. It is important to not under or overwater them. When given too much water, fungal diseases are more common and they become susceptible to pest infestations. Underwatering the peony roots however will result in the plant not being able to survive. Consistent and frequent watering is crucial, just make sure you are not drowning the new plants.

How far apart to plant these peonies

Plant coral charm peonies three feet apart from one another. You will not want to plant them closer together because then you will run into issues with the moisture. Not giving them enough room will result in poor air circulation. Without enough air circulation, the disease is sure to develop.

How tall do Coral Charm peonies grow?

Coral charm peonies reach up to 3 feet in height. This is average for all types of peonies as they all reach a fairly consistent height. It is not common for coral charm peonies to reach above four feet.

When do Coral Charm peonies bloom?

Coral Charm peonies are late growing season bloomers, tending to bloom during the end of spring or the beginning of summer under the full sun. The most common time for blooming is very early June, however, they could end up blooming at the end of May, or in the middle of June. They will then continue blooming for about one week.

Because coral charms are herbaceous peonies, they will bloom without much effort. Although coral charm peonies have ideal conditions, they do not need much from their gardener. They will likely grow in any condition, as long as it is not too extreme.

Stem support for Coral Charm peonies

Because of the floriferous nature of peonies, it is recommended that you install some sort of support system for these plants, such as grow-through peony rings.

Since the flowers are typically so large, full, and heavy, they can tend to droop (especially after a good rainstorm and water has collected on the flowers’ many petals). The stems can snap under the weight or simply droop so far that the flowers rest on the ground and rot.

Coral charm peony plant

Pruning Coral Charm peony

Coral Charm peonies need minimal pruning. After the flowers bloom, remove spent blooms so they don’t weigh down the stems as they droop over. Try not to remove leaves while deadheading. The leaves help the plant grow strong enough to survive the cold winters.

That said, any damaged stems or leaves can be removed to help keep the plant looking tidy. In late fall, once the foliage has turned yellow-red, cut the stems down to a few inches above the ground. Read more about when to cut back peonies.

Coral peonies
Coral charm peony
Mary Jane Duford
Mary Jane Duford

Mary Jane Duford is a passionate gardener and well-acclaimed authority in the world of horticulture. As a certified Master Gardener and Permaculture Garden Designer with over a decade of hands-on experience, she has honed her skills to cultivate a deeper understanding of the natural world around us. Beyond her gardening prowess, Mary Jane holds a distinct edge as a Professional Engineer, an expertise that often intertwines with her gardening methodologies, bringing a unique perspective to her readers.

She is the proud founder of the renowned gardening website, Home for the Harvest, a platform dedicated to helping fellow gardeners, both novice and experienced, find their green thumbs. Her gardening expertise hasn't gone unnoticed; she's been spotlighted as a go-to gardening expert by notable publications like Better Homes & Gardens, Good Housekeeping, Mother Earth News, Real Simple, and the National Garden Bureau.

Delving deep into specific fields of study within horticulture, Mary Jane has an extensive knowledge base on sustainable gardening practices (including permaculture), soil science, and selecting cultivars well-suited to home gardeners. Her passion isn't just limited to plants; she's a staunch advocate for holistic, eco-friendly gardening techniques that benefit both flora and fauna.

Currently residing in the picturesque Okanagan Valley, Mary Jane cherishes the time she spends with her family amidst nature, always exploring, learning, and growing both as a gardener and as an individual.

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