Overview

The Callie’s Memory Itoh Peony is a truly exceptional addition to any garden, representing the pinnacle of peony breeding. This remarkable hybrid combines the robust, upright growth habit of a tree peony with the lush, abundant flowering and dormancy cycle of a herbaceous bush peony. Gardeners seeking a long-lasting, low-maintenance, and visually stunning perennial will find the Callie’s Memory Itoh Peony to be an unparalleled choice. Its distinctive blooms and reliable performance make it a focal point in any landscape. This offering is for a healthy bareroot plant, ready for successful establishment in your garden.

Itoh peonies, also known as Intersectional peonies, are celebrated for their unique characteristics that set them apart from traditional varieties. They inherit the best qualities from both parent types, resulting in strong stems that prevent flopping, an extended bloom time, and an impressive number of flowers. The ‘Callie’s Memory’ variety, in particular, boasts some of the most unique and captivating blooms available, ensuring a spectacular display year after year. This hybrid peony plant is an investment in enduring beauty and horticultural excellence.

Key Benefits

Planting a Callie’s Memory Itoh Peony brings a multitude of advantages to your garden and your gardening experience. Its hybrid vigor and stunning aesthetics make it a standout choice for both novice and experienced gardeners.

• Spectacular Blooms: Enjoy huge, wonderfully fragrant blooms, up to 6 inches across, that captivate with their unique colors and forms. The visual impact of these flowers is truly breathtaking.
• Extended Bloom Season: Unlike traditional peonies, this Itoh peony care results in a longer flowering period, allowing you to enjoy its beauty for an extended duration each spring.
• Strong, Upright Stems: Inheriting the sturdy stems from tree peonies, the plant remains upright even when laden with numerous large flowers, eliminating the need for staking.
• Abundant Flowering: A single established plant can produce up to 50 magnificent blooms, creating a lavish and continuous display of color and fragrance.
• Durable Perennial: This hybrid peony plant is a long-lived perennial, providing decades of enjoyment with minimal intervention once established.
• Low Maintenance: Once settled, Itoh peonies are remarkably hardy and require less fuss than many other flowering perennials, making them ideal for busy gardeners.
• Versatile Planting: Suitable for both spring and fall planting, giving flexibility in when you can establish this beautiful addition to your garden.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper Itoh peony care ensures a robust plant and abundant blooms. The Callie’s Memory Itoh Peony is relatively easy to care for, provided its basic needs are met. This bareroot plant should be planted in a location that receives at least 6 hours of full sun daily for optimal flowering. While it tolerates partial shade, fewer blooms may result. Ensure good air circulation around the plant to prevent fungal issues. When planting your bare root, ensure the ‘eyes’ (pinkish buds) are no more than 1-2 inches below the soil surface. Planting too deep can inhibit flowering.

For soil, the Callie’s Memory Itoh Peony thrives in well-draining, fertile soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. Amend heavy clay soils with organic matter like compost to improve drainage and structure. Consistent moisture is crucial during the plant’s establishment phase. Once established, Itoh peonies are drought-tolerant but will benefit from regular watering during dry spells, especially when buds are forming. Avoid overhead watering to minimize leaf diseases. Fertilize sparingly; a balanced slow-release fertilizer in early spring is usually sufficient. Over-fertilization, especially with high nitrogen, can lead to lush foliage but fewer flowers. This hybrid peony plant is hardy in USDA Zones 4-9, making it suitable for a wide range of climates. Protection from harsh winter winds may be beneficial in the colder end of its range.

Size & Details

This offering is for a healthy, dormant Callie’s Memory Itoh Peony bareroot plant, ready for planting. Upon establishment, the plant typically grows to a mature height and spread of approximately 2.5 to 3 feet, creating a substantial and attractive shrub-like form. The vigorous growth habit means that within a few seasons, you can expect a spectacular display of large, fragrant blooms that can reach up to 6 inches in diameter. The plant will go dormant in winter, much like herbaceous peonies, and re-emerge with renewed vigor each spring. The strong stems support the heavy blooms without flopping, a characteristic inherited from its tree peony lineage. Expect the first blooms within 1-2 years after planting, with increasing profusion as the plant matures. This is a long-term investment in your garden’s beauty.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this Callie’s Memory Itoh Peony get? A: The Callie’s Memory Itoh Peony typically grows to a mature size of about 2.5 to 3 feet in both height and spread, forming a beautiful, rounded bush. Its large blooms can be up to 6 inches across.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: This is an outdoor plant, hardy in USDA Zones 4-9. It requires a period of winter chill to properly set buds and bloom.
• Q: How much sunlight does the hybrid peony plant need? A: For the best flowering performance, this peony needs at least 6 hours of full sun per day. It can tolerate partial shade, but you might see fewer blooms.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, once established, Itoh peonies are known for being relatively low-maintenance. They are robust, disease-resistant, and don’t require staking, making Itoh peony care straightforward.
• Q: What condition will the planting bare root peony arrive in? A: Your Callie’s Memory Itoh Peony will arrive as a dormant bareroot plant, carefully packaged and ready for planting. This is the optimal way to establish peonies.
• Q: How long until it blooms? A: While some bareroot peonies may produce a few blooms in their first year, you can generally expect a significant display of fragrant peony blooms starting in the second or third year after planting, with increasing abundance thereafter.
• Q: When is the best time to plant a planting bare root peony? A: The best times to plant bareroot peonies are in early spring or in the fall. Fall planting, typically September to October in many regions, allows the roots to establish before winter.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: The Callie’s Memory Itoh Peony is very cold hardy and thrives in USDA Zones 4-9, meaning it can withstand cold winters within this range.
• Q: What kind of soil does this hybrid peony plant prefer? A: It prefers well-draining, fertile soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. Good drainage is crucial to prevent root rot.
• Q: Do these peonies have a scent? A: Yes, ‘Callie’s Memory’ is known for its wonderfully fragrant peony blooms, adding another delightful dimension to your garden experience.