"Red" Peonies
Ever buy a red peony plant, wait for it to settle in, mature, and bloom with gusto only to discover that the color is actually a deep, rich pink? Join the club.
Years ago when peony hybridizers were working hard to develop deeper colors they began calling rich, saturated pinks "red" to distinguish the new shades from the softer, lighter pinks. This worked well for them but for buyers who were expecting a red that matched what they'd found in their Crayola boxes the color was off and there was a fair amount of disappointment. And it continues today.
We've tried hard to describe the peony cultivars we offer in terms the average gardener would consider accurate. But keep in mind that every eye sees color a little differently.