Peonies and tree peonies look very much alike; one trick teaches you to tell them apart quickly

We all know that peonies and tree peonies look very much alike, and it is easy to fail to tell them apart. So where exactly is the difference between peonies and tree peonies?

Stems

The stems of peonies grow in clusters from the roots and are of the herbaceous type; most of their base is cylindrical in shape, with many ridges on it, some curved and some straight.

Tree peonies are deciduous shrubs; their stems are woody and can grow to 2 m tall, and their branches are short and thick.

The biggest difference between the stems of tree peonies and peonies is that after the stems of tree peonies fall to the ground, they do not wither and die, whereas after the stems of peonies fall to the ground, they wither and die.

Flower shape

Peony flowers are also large, but not as large as tree peony flowers; their diameter is between 8 and 11 cm, and they are also solitary, with a few bearing two or three flowers, and their floral disk is shallow cup-shaped.

Tree peony flowers are solitary at the tips of the branches; the flowers are large, about 10 to 17 cm in diameter, with five bracts, and the tips are irregular, looking like a wavy shape.

Leaves

Peony leaves are tripinnately compound leaves; during growth, the leaves on both sides gradually decrease, and finally, when the leaves disappear, only three small leaflets remain at the lower end.

Tree peony leaves are biternately compound leaves; the underside of the leaves is pale green and also has some white powder on it, and the small leaflets at the tips are broadly ovate in shape.

The biggest difference between the leaves of peonies and tree peonies is that the entire leaf of a peony is green, while the underside of a tree peony leaf is pale green and also has some white powder.

Flowering period

The flowering period of peonies is in late spring and early summer, generally blooming in the first ten days of May, and the flowering period is very short, about eight to ten days, whereas tree peonies begin to bloom in March, and April to May is exactly when they bloom most profusely.

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