Overview

Introduce a touch of sophisticated beauty to your landscape with the magnificent Cora Louise Itoh Peony. This exceptional Hybrid Peony plant is a cross between herbaceous and tree peonies, combining the best traits of both. It boasts the vigorous growth and prolific blooming of a herbaceous peony, dying back to the ground in winter and re-emerging in spring with even more spectacular flowers each year. Unlike many traditional peonies, the ‘Cora Louise’ maintains a sturdy, upright habit, eliminating the need for staking. As a Peony bareroot, it’s ready for planting in fall or spring, establishing quickly to provide years of breathtaking blooms. Its unique genetic makeup ensures a robust and resilient plant that will thrive in a variety of garden settings, making it a favorite among gardeners seeking both beauty and ease of care.

The ‘Cora Louise’ variety is renowned for its stunning floral display. Its large, semi-double blossoms feature pristine white petals beautifully contrasted by striking dark magenta central flares, creating a truly captivating visual. These exquisite flowers not only add visual appeal but also emit a soft, pleasing scent, making them perfect for cutting and bringing indoors to enjoy their fragrance and beauty up close. The lush, toothed foliage in a rich, dark green provides an attractive backdrop to the vibrant blooms, ensuring your garden looks fantastic even when the plant is not in flower. This vigorous grower multiplies quickly, establishing a strong presence in your garden within just a few seasons.

Key Benefits

The Cora Louise Itoh Peony offers a wealth of benefits for any garden, combining stunning aesthetics with remarkable ease of care. This particular Hybrid Peony plant is a standout choice for both novice and experienced gardeners.

• Stunning Floral Display: Enjoy large, semi-double white flowers with striking dark magenta central flares. These elegant blooms add a touch of sophistication to any garden space, making the white magenta Peony a true showstopper.
• No Staking Required: Unlike many herbaceous peonies, the ‘Cora Louise’ maintains a strong, upright habit, eliminating the need for cumbersome staking and simplifying garden maintenance.
• Vigorous Growth & Prolific Blooming: This hybrid peony is known for its rapid multiplication and increasing flower production year after year. You’ll enjoy more blooms as your plant matures, ensuring a spectacular late spring display.
• Fragrant Cut Flowers: The soft, pleasing scent of the blossoms makes them ideal for cutting and creating beautiful, aromatic floral arrangements to enjoy indoors.
• Low Maintenance: This robust plant is relatively easy to care for, requiring minimal attention once established, making Itoh Peony care straightforward for busy gardeners.
• Hardy & Resilient: Thrives in USDA Zones 4-8, demonstrating excellent cold hardiness and adaptability to various climates.
• Attractive Foliage: Beyond its flowers, the lush, dark green, toothed foliage provides year-round garden interest, even when not in bloom.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper Itoh Peony care ensures a healthy, thriving plant that will reward you with abundant blooms year after year. As a Cora Louise Itoh Peony, it combines the hardiness of herbaceous peonies with the strong stems of tree peonies, making it relatively low-maintenance. When planting your Peony bareroot, choose a location that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Peonies are sun-loving plants and will produce the most flowers in full sun. Ensure the soil is well-draining, as peonies do not like ‘wet feet.’ A slightly acidic to neutral soil pH (6.5-7.0) is ideal.

Water regularly during dry spells, especially during the first year after planting to help establish the root system. Once established, peonies are quite drought-tolerant, but consistent moisture during bud formation and blooming will result in larger, more vibrant flowers. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer or a fertilizer specifically formulated for flowering plants. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, which can promote foliage growth at the expense of flowers. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage the plant to put energy into root development rather than seed production, though this specific Hybrid Peony plant is naturally vigorous.

The Cora Louise Itoh Peony is hardy in USDA Zones 4-8. In colder zones, a layer of mulch can provide extra winter protection, though it typically dies back to the ground and re-emerges reliably in spring. Pests and diseases are generally not a significant problem for Itoh peonies. Ensure good air circulation around the plant to prevent fungal issues. If you notice any problems, consult a local garden center for appropriate organic or chemical treatments. Proper planting depth is crucial for peonies; ensure the “eyes” (buds) on the bare root are planted no more than 1-2 inches below the soil surface for optimal blooming.

Size & Details

The Cora Louise Itoh Peony is shipped as a robust 3-5 eye bareroot, ensuring a strong start for your garden. ‘Eyes’ refer to the buds on the root that will develop into stems and foliage. This size indicates a well-developed root system capable of establishing quickly and producing blooms within a season or two, with increasing abundance as it matures. This vigorous Hybrid Peony plant typically reaches a mature height of 2-3 feet and a similar spread, forming a handsome, mounded bush. Its strong stems support the large flowers without flopping, making it a self-standing specimen.

Expect a late spring bloom period, with flowers lasting for several weeks. The growth rate is vigorous, multiplying quickly to form a substantial clump over time. When selecting your planting location, consider its mature size to allow ample space for its full development. This white magenta Peony is an investment that will grow in beauty and stature each year, becoming a focal point in your garden. The bareroot format is an excellent way to plant peonies, allowing for direct integration into your garden soil and minimizing transplant shock.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does the Cora Louise Itoh Peony get? A: The Cora Louise Itoh Peony typically grows to a mature height of 2-3 feet and has a similar spread, forming a lovely, rounded bush. Its vigorous growth ensures it fills out well over time.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: This is an outdoor plant, perfectly suited for garden beds and borders. It thrives in full sun and is hardy in USDA Zones 4-8.
• Q: How much sunlight does the Cora Louise Itoh Peony need? A: For optimal blooming, the Cora Louise Itoh Peony requires at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. More sun generally leads to more flowers.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, the ‘Cora Louise’ is considered low-maintenance. Its hybrid vigor means it’s robust and disease-resistant, making Itoh Peony care relatively simple for gardeners of all experience levels.
• Q: What condition will the Peony bareroot arrive in? A: Your Peony bareroot will arrive carefully packed in peat moss, ensuring the root is healthy, moist, and ready for planting. We prioritize secure shipping for live plant material.
• Q: How long until it blooms? A: While some Itoh peonies may produce a few blooms in their first year, you can generally expect a more significant display of the beautiful white magenta Peony flowers in the second or third year after planting, with increasing blooms as the plant matures.
• Q: When is the best time to plant this Peony bareroot? A: The best times to plant the Cora Louise Itoh Peony bareroot are in the fall (September to October) or early spring (April to May), allowing the plant to establish its root system before extreme weather.
• Q: What kind of soil does this Hybrid Peony plant prefer? A: This Hybrid Peony plant thrives in well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. A slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.5-7.0) is ideal for healthy growth and prolific flowering.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: The Cora Louise Itoh Peony is very cold hardy, reliably surviving winters in USDA Zones 4-8. It dies back to the ground in winter and re-emerges in spring.
• Q: Is staking required for this Peony? A: No, one of the great advantages of this Cora Louise Itoh Peony is its strong, sturdy stems that hold the large flowers upright, eliminating the need for staking.