Peony 'Bowl of Cream'

Glorious in bouquets, Peony ‘Bowl of Cream’ has fragrant, creamy white, fully double flowers that can measure 8” across or more. Golden stamens hidden deep within the bowl-shaped blooms have the effect of illuminating the centers. Plants create vigorous clumps that are ideal backdrops for spring-flowering bulbs, and their outstanding green foliage remains attractive throughout the growing season. The 1981 American Peony Society Gold Medal Selection. Introduced in 1963. Midseason.

The genus Paeonia includes more than 30 species with plants native to Europe, Asia, and western North America. The majority are perennials that die back year to year (Herbaceous Peonies), while some are woody shrubs (Tree Peonies). There is also a group of hybrids created by crossing Herbaceous and Tree Peonies (Itoh/Intersectional Peonies). Peonies flower in mid- and/or late spring with blossoms appearing in a variety of forms, from delicate Singles to petal-packed Doubles. These long-lived, carefree plants are classic elements of borders and beds. They combine beautifully with a wide array of perennials. When Peony blossoms subside, their cut-leaf foliage and mounding forms continue to bring beauty and structure to the garden while flattering and supporting neighboring plants. The flowers of Herbaceous and Itoh Peonies are outstanding in bouquets.

Herbaceous Peonies have been beloved by gardeners since their initial cultivation in ancient China. They are cherished for large, silken, often fragrant blooms that appear in late spring (June for us) atop a mound of deep green, dissected foliage that persists throughout the growing season. The plants die back to the ground each fall but return in spring year after year, securing their reputation as one of the most durable, carefree, and longest-lived perennials. (Plants may live 100 years or more.) Herbaceous Peony flowers exhibit an array of forms from Singles to Doubles and Bomb-style to Anemone. Colors range from white, pink, magenta, and maroon to a newer spectrum, produced by hybridization, that includes bright red, mahogany, coral, and yellow. Herbaceous Peonies are must-haves for perennial beds and borders. They pair beautifully with a broad array of other perennials and are a particularly splendid companion for Tall Bearded Iris. Use Herbaceous Peonies to line a fence, path, or driveway or plant them amid perennials and shrubs in a mixed border or cut-flower garden. The flowers are superb for bouquets.

We ship large roots with 3 to 5 eyes that are fresh from the growing fields. While a newly planted Peony seldom makes a first-class show in its first season, these vigorous plants will reach the top of their form in their second or third year. Herbaceous Peonies grow best with a minimum of 6 hours of sun. Southern gardeners should provide afternoon shade.

For more information on growing Peonies, click Growing Guide.

We want our customers to receive strong, healthy plants that are ready to thrive in their gardens and homes. Here's what we'd like you to know about our shipping practices.

Delivery Timing

We aim to deliver your plants at as close to the proper time for planting in your area as possible. To do so, we consider the USDA Hardiness Zone to which we're shipping, current and forecasted weather at the destination and along the shipping route, and whether your plants are ready for transplant.

In spring, we ship first to the warmest regions and move north as planting conditions improve. For fall deliveries, we begin with the coolest regions and work south. We frequently adjust shipping schedules when extreme weather could put plants at risk while in transit or soon after arrival.

Because different plants reach readiness at different rates and are weather-sensitive in varying degree, a single order may be delivered via multiple shipments. Plants sold as part of a collection, or that are otherwise meant to arrive together, will be shipped together. Please contact our customer service team with two weeks' advance notice if you anticipate being away at the expected time of delivery. 

Tracking information for each package is delivered via email. 

Plant & Container Sizes

We deliver plants in various sizes and stages of growth, and the product detail pages of our website indicate the form and/or pot size in which the plant will be delivered. Pot sizes range from 1 pint to 1 gallon and larger. Many perennials, roses, shrubs and vines are delivered bareroot - that is, not in a container at all. Bulbs and tubers are generally delivered bareroot and fully dormant. We choose container sizes and delivery methods based on how each plant grows best, how we can minimize transplant shock, and how to minimize unnecessary bulk/weight in shipment. 

Caring for Your Plants Upon Arrival

It is important to acclimate greenhouse-grown plants to life outdoors. All plant shipments include simple instructions for handling your plants upon arrival. Further how-to information, including planting instructions, is available on each plant's product page.

No garden is complete without these imposing plants, which are covered with sumptuous flowers in May and June. True perennials, Herbaceous Peonies may live for fifty years or so, becoming more impressive over time. Peonies are easy to grow and will reward you with armfuls of cut flowers and a splendid show in the garden. They make striking specimen plants, play nicely with other perennials in the garden, and are ideal for bordering a walk or driveway. Early-, mid- and late-blooming varieties are available to extend the flowering season, some of which are fragrant. Peonies are grown in Zones 3 to 8; in the South, they will flower in Alabama but the limit appears to be cooler areas of Zone 8. Southern gardeners should choose early-flowering singles for the best success.

Pronunciation: pay-oh'-nee-ah

Light/Watering: Plant Herbaceous Peonies in full sun except in the South and the warmest parts of the West, where afternoon shade is appreciated and will help the flowers last longer on the plant. An inch of water a week throughout the growing season is recommended.

Fertilizer/Soil and pH: Well-drained soil rich in organic matter is desirable. If your soil is extremely acid, add a few handfuls of calcitic lime at planting time. Plant the roots with the eyes (the pink or white buds at the top of the roots) pointing up and cover with one to two inches of soil in the North and no more than one inch in the South. (Please note: If the eyes are set deeper than recommended, plants may not bloom. For this reason, do not mulch over the crowns.) Don't be surprised if there are few or no flowers the first spring after planting; plants generally take a few years to settle in and bloom heavily. Peonies respond well to an annual sidedressing of one inch of compost or aged manure; no other fertilization is necessary. Many Peonies, certainly the double-flowered varieties, must be staked to prevent a thunderstorm from pushing their blooms into the mud. Set the supports in place as new growth begins to emerge in early spring.

Pests/Diseases: Few insect pests bother Herbaceous Peonies, but a fungal disease called botrytis may be a problem, especially in very wet seasons. The stems of Peonies develop cankers or blacken at the base and fall over or simply wilt. Leaves may show black or brown patches and buds may turn brown and fail to open. Good culture and sanitation in the garden can help prevent or correct these problems. Plants need good drainage and air circulation, so do not crowd. Remove any affected foliage at the first sign of disease and deadhead religiously, removing all flower parts and petals from the garden. Cut off all foliage just below soil level after a killing frost in the fall and remove it and any debris from the area -- do not compost. If botrytis was present the previous spring, add a shallow layer of sand around the plants and crowns and spray newly emerging shoots with Bordeaux mix or lime sulfur following label directions. Fungal spores overwinter at the base of the plants, and spring rains then splash the spores up onto the new shoots. Removing any debris and old foliage and covering the soil with sand helps prevent reinfection.

Another blight known as phytophthora may also appear, but the two diseases are hard to tell apart. Take a sample to your USDA Cooperative Extension Service agent or a specialist if you suspect phytophthora, as this disease is usually fatal to the plant and infected plants should be dug up and destroyed, and the soil replaced before replanting.

Peonies can be susceptible to powdery mildew in summer. The white, powdery mildew fungus covers the leaves to varying degrees, but seems to have little effect on the vigor of the plant. This can be avoided or diminished by planting in full sun and providing ample air circulation around the plants.

Companions: Peonies flower with Roses and Clematis and are lovely with many other perennials; be sure to leave room around the plants for air circulation. White-flowered Peonies are entrancing against a background of evergreens. Spring-flowering bulbs such as Crocus vernus or Scilla siberica create a pleasing color contrast at the feet of emerging Herbaceous Peonies stems, which are often reddish.

Reflowering: Many varieties make several side buds that will open after the terminal bloom flowers, so deadheading is beneficial. After each flower is finished, cut the stem underneath the old bloom, leaving the foliage alone. If exhibition-sized flowers are desired, remove the side buds as they form and leave only the terminal bud.

Dividing/Transplanting: Generally Herbaceous Peonies do not need dividing and some resent it. However, if you must move an established plant you need to divide it before replanting. Do this in the fall, after all foliage has died back completely. Each division should have three to five eyes, and it will usually take a couple of years for the new plants to flower.

End-of-Season Care: Foliage of Herbaceous Peonies should be cut back in the fall and removed from the premises to discourage overwintering of pests. Mulch new plants with evergreen boughs or salt marsh hay after the ground freezes.

Calendar of Care

Early Spring: Water plantings well if spring rains don't do it for you. Side dress plants with compost or aged manure. If botrytis blight was present the previous season, cover ground around plant with a thin (one-quarter inch) layer of sand and spray new shoots with Bordeaux mix or lime sulphur. Set stakes or other supports in place now.

Mid-Spring: Watch for signs of botrytis blight and treat as needed, removing any diseased tissue immediately. Train through plant supports as plants grow. Remove side buds if exhibition-size blooms are desired.

Late Spring: Deadhead Peonies religiously and remove all fallen petals or blooms from the garden.

Summer: Herbaceous Peonies do best with an inch of water a week.

Fall: Cut stems of Herbaceous Peonies back to soil level and remove from the area. Dig and divide plants now if necessary. Mulch new plantings with evergreen boughs or salt marsh hay after the ground freezes.

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