Red peonies are absolutely striking in the spring flower garden. Fortunately, there are quite a few vibrant varieties to choose from! Let’s look at 25 of the most beautiful and popular cultivars to grow in your garden.
1. Karl Rosenfield peony
Karl Rosenfield peony is perhaps the most popular red peony variety and is well-known for its rich red fluffy blooms. These flowers are large and can reach 6″-7″ in full bloom. Karl Rosenfield peonies are a heritage cultivar and make excellent cut flowers for bouquets. The Karl Rosenfield peony is a cultivar of Paeonia lactiflora bred by John Rosenfield (Nebraska) and introduced in 1908.
2. Kansas peony
Kansas peony is another widely popular vibrant peony with red-pink frilly petals. The blooms have a magenta tone and open wide to 7″-8″ across! While some peonies with large flowers like this require quite a bit of support, this plant has sturdy stems and rarely needs support. The Kansas Peony is a cultivar of Paeonia lactiflora bred by Myron Bigger (Topeka, Kansas) around 1940.
3. Red Charm peony
Red Charm peony is a classic red peony variety for the garden and for fresh floral arrangements. These gigantic dark red bombe-type blooms with a spicy floral fragrance. The sturdy stems of this plant are also quite strong, although they may need support in some growing conditions due to the enormous flowers. The Red Charm peony is a hybrid Paeonia cultivar bred by Lyman Glasscock (Illinois) around 1944.
4. Félix Crousse peony
Félix Crousse peony is a popular red-pink variety with large double crimson red-pink blooms. The large flowers often require support with a peony ring or stake. The Félix Crousse Peony is an heirloom bred by Félix Crousse (France) and introduced in 1881.
5. Fernleaf peony
Fernleaf peony is an early-blooming species of peony with crimson flowers and yellow centers. These expensive peonies are known for blooming early in peony season, often flowering around Mother’s Day. True to their name, the plants have fine fern-like foliage with bright yellow stamens. The botanical classification for this peony is Paeonia tenuifolia.
6. Buckeye Belle peony
Buckeye Belle peony is an early blooming peony with dark red burgundy flowers. This is a semi-double variety known for its heat tolerance in warmer southern growing zones. The plants are compact, reaching 28″-30″ tall in the garden.
7. Henry Bockstoce peony
Henry Bockstoce peonies are a true red peony variety with giant double flowers. These rose-like blooms grow on long tall sturdy stems (that may require a peony ring), making them excellent cut flowers. Another benefit of this variety is the beautiful fragrance. The Henry Bockstoce peony is a hybrid cultivar.
8. Felix Supreme peony
Felix Supreme peony is a richly-hued red peony. This variety is nice in the garden but is best known as a cut flower. While the sturdy stems are thick, these plants often require support if left to bloom in the garden. The Felix Supreme Peony is a cultivar of Paeonia lactiflora.
9. Old Faithful peony
Old Faithful peony is a traditional red peony variety known for its large red velvety flowers. As the name suggests, these plants are low-maintenance, reliable bloomers in the garden. The Old Faithful Peony is a hybrid peony variety.
10. Kirinmaru peony
Kirinmaru peony is a bicolor fluffy double peony with white petals streaked with vibrant red. These unique flowers are very striking in the garden and also have a strong floral scent. The foliage is dark green and glossy, making for a lovely landscaping plant even after the flowers have faded.
11. Benjamin Franklin peony
Benjamin Franklin peony is a red-pink double peony variety that blooms in the middle of peony season. These plants are particularly tall for herbaceous peonies, making them favored landscaping plants for borders. The peony flowers of this variety are not very big and are low in scent, making these plants more common for landscaping uses than as cut flowers for fresh bouquets.
12. Black Beauty peony
Black Beauty peony is a purple-red double peony with frilly petals. The flowers are fragrant and are much darker than most other peony varieties, making them a wonderful addition to a floral display. The 6″-7″ wide flowers also make great cut flowers. Black Beauty is a cultivar of Paeonia lactiflora.
13. Victoire de la Marne peony
Victoire de la Marne peony is an heirloom red-pink-purple peony variety. This variety is known for its ruffled petals and thrives both in the garden and as a cut flower variety. The scent also attracts beneficial pollinators like native bees and hummingbirds. The Victoire de la Marne peony is a cultivar of Paeonia lactiflora.
14. Command Performance peony
Command Performance peony is a newer red peony variety known for its exceptionally large 8″-9″ wide cardinal red flowers. The petals have serrated ends and the blooms are quite fragrant. The plants are slow-growing and have grey-green foliage.
15. Prince of Darkness peony
Prince of Darkness peony is an old-fashioned red-maroon peony variety. These flowers grow on plants that reach 30″-36″ in the garden. The petals are ruffled and the flowers are nicely scented. This classic peony is perfect in the garden and also in fresh bouquets indoors.
16. Rachel peony
Rachel Peony is an heirloom ruffly red peony variety. These flowers are highly scented, and the combination of the red color and lovely scent is incredibly attractive to hummingbirds and other beneficial pollinators. The Rachel Peony is a hybrid variety.
17. Red Sarah Bernhardt peony
Red Sarah Bernhardt peony is a classic red peony cultivar with large 7″-8″ wide flowers. These plants are lovely in the landscape as they have an upright form and highly scented flowers. Plants may need staking or a peony ring if left to flower in the garden. These peonies also make fantastic cut flowers. The Red Sarah Bernhardt Peony is a cultivar of Peonia lactiflora.
18. Diana Parks peony
Diana Parks peonies are a true red American heirloom peony variety. These double flowers have large outer guard petals and lacinated fine inner petals with a fine floral fragrance. The plants are large for herbaceous peonies, reaching 42″ tall in good growing conditions. The Diana Parks peony is an officinalis hybrid cultivar.
19. Peter Brand peony
Peter Brand peonies are heirloom ruby-red peonies with 6″-7″ wide flowers. This variety is another double (that rarely needs staking), which tends to go a bit pink-purple as the petals age. It has dark green foliage, making for a lovely display in the garden. The Peter Brand peony is a cultivar of Paeonia lactiflora.
20. Hillary Itoh peony
Hillary Itoh peony is a modern intersectional peony variety with unique bicolor red-yellow flowers. The petals tend to be more red around the perimeters of the petals and in the center of the bloom. The plants are short, reaching only about 2′ tall in the garden, making them perfect for landscaping. The Hillary Itoh Peony is a herbaceous x tree hybrid cultivar.
21. Lollipop Itoh peony
Lollipop Itoh peony is an intersectional variety with bicolor yellow-red flowers. The yellow petals are streaked with red, giving these flowers a candy-like striped appearance. These bright flowers are very attractive to butterflies and beneficial pollinators.
22. Shima-Nishiki Tree peony
Shima-Nishiki Tree Peony is a red tree variety also known as the “Fire Flame” peony (Japanese translation). The red petals have cream-white streaks that do give the petals a flame-like appearance. The Shima-Nishiki Tree Peony is a cultivar of Paeonia suffruticosa.
23. Cherry Hill peony
Cherry Hill peony is a burgundy-red double peony variety that truly is the color of a ripe cherry. This heirloom is also highly fragrant and rarely requires staking in the garden. The plants can grow quite tall, reaching 40″-44″ tall.
24. François Ortegat peony
François Ortegat is a European heirloom dark red peony variety. The flowers are semi-double and have a floral fragrance. This is one of the most fragrant magenta peonies available. They have deep red petals.
25. Belgravia peony
Belgravia peony is a red-pink variety with lush, soft petals. The flowers can reach 8″-10″ wide, generally opening in a red hue and maturing to deep pink as the flowers age. This type is both suited to the garden and as a cut flower.
