What is this ornamental plant?

May 31, 2015 8:17 PM

Help me identify this ornamental plant growing in front of our new house.

We moved into our new house last year, and by spring these beautiful plants had started growing in our front flower beds. They bloomed, hung around for the warmer months, and then died back and completely disappeared by winter. Now they're back up and blooming again. What are they? Link to pic.

posted by fremen to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

Best answer: herbaceous peony.
posted by miss patrish at 8:20 PM on May 31, 2015

Best answer: Peonies?
posted by gatorae at 8:21 PM on May 31, 2015

Best answer: Looks like a variety of peony.
posted by ryanshepard at 8:22 PM on May 31, 2015

maybe dr. alexander fleming?
posted by miss patrish at 8:26 PM on May 31, 2015

sarah bernhardt seems to be the right form, but probably too pale pink.
posted by miss patrish at 8:28 PM on May 31, 2015

kansas is probably too dark.
posted by miss patrish at 8:32 PM on May 31, 2015

actually, here's a link to a whole list of peonies with pictures and descriptions.
posted by miss patrish at 8:36 PM on May 31, 2015

In case you don't know, peonies are not only spectacularly beautiful, they live a very long time, and ask only that they not be disturbed. No moving, no pruning, no messing with ... just enjoying the flowers. My kind of plant. (You can trim the completely dead leaves in the winter, but certainly don't have to.)
posted by kestralwing at 1:44 AM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]

As kestralwing mentions, they thrive on being left alone. The only things they really want or need are a peony stake (which is in place from your photo, and is around mostly to keep those gorgeous blooms from tipping over) and to throw away the dead foilage/leaves in the fall. One of the very few diseases that can actually mess with a peony long-term is botrytis, and clearing the dead plant matter away at the end of the year helps keep it from establishing itself.
posted by joyceanmachine at 9:03 AM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]