Light
Full sun for the most flowers. Light afternoon shade is fine in hot areas.
Growing guide · Perennials
Paeonia lactiflora
How to grow Peony 'Dr. Alexander Fleming'.
Fragrant pink doubles. Bring scissors.
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Water
- Moderate
- Zones
- 3–8
- Size
- 2–3 ft tall, 2–3 ft wide
- Spacing
- 3 ft apart; it doesn't like being moved later.
- Pets
- Not on the ASPCA pet-safe list; keep it out of reach
Water
Water weekly the first season. Established plants need water only in drought.
Planting and soil
Plant in fall or spring with the pink eyes no more than 2 in. below the surface. Too deep is the top reason peonies don't bloom.
Feeding
Compost in spring. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer.
Pruning
Cut stems to the ground in fall. Remove spent flowers in summer.
Through the year
Red shoots in early spring, flowers in late May to early June, foliage until frost.
If something's off
Ants on buds are harmless. Botrytis browns buds in wet springs; clean up stems in fall. Toxic to pets. New plants may take 2–3 years to bloom well.
Plays well with
Plant it with friends.
Why we stock it: Generous, fragrant flowers on a plant that can live for decades.
That's everything we know about growing it. Thanks for reading.
Know someone with the right spot? Send them this.
Peony 'Dr. Alexander Fleming'from $53.99 · Arrives alive, or we replace it
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What to plant this week in your zone, every Sunday. New ways to plant and odd tricks that actually work.
Sunday's tip is written for your zone: what to plant this week, and a kit that fits.Set your zone and Sunday's tip gets specific: what to plant this week, and a kit that fits.
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