Paeonia Red Charm

Peony Red Charm

Paeonia ‘Red Charm’ is a herbaceous hybrid peony with large, rich red, bomb-form double flowers held on thick, sturdy stems. The blooms have broad outer petals surrounding a dense, ruffled center of smaller petals, giving the flower a full, rounded look. It blooms early in the peony season and forms an upright clump of glossy green foliage that remains attractive through summer. The American Peony Society lists it as an officinalis × lactiflora hybrid introduced by Glasscock in 1944, and it received the APS Gold Medal in 1956.

Type: Herbaceous hybrid peony
Mature Size: 24–36 in. wide × 25–36 in. tall
USDA Zones: 3a–8b
Form: Upright, bushy, clumping perennial with strong stems
Light: Full sun to part shade; best flowering in full sun
Soil / Water: Fertile, rich, evenly moist, well-drained soil; avoid wet, poorly drained sites
Bloom Time / Length: Early season, usually late spring to early summer; about 7–10 days depending on weather
Wildlife: Flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects; generally deer and rabbit resistant

Features & Landscape Uses:
Excellent for perennial borders, cottage gardens, cutting gardens, specimen planting, mass planting, and mixed sunny beds. ‘Red Charm’ is especially valued for its true deep red color, early bloom time, sturdy stems, and large bomb-type flowers. Missouri Botanical Garden describes it as a hybrid peony that typically grows to about 36 inches tall, with ruffled deep red double blooms and attractive summer foliage.

Care:
Plant peony eyes about 1–2 inches below the soil surface; planting too deeply can reduce flowering. Provide full sun, good air circulation, and water at the base when possible. Although ‘Red Charm’ has sturdy stems, very large blooms may still benefit from a peony ring in rainy weather. Remove spent flowers after bloom, leave foliage through summer to feed the roots, then cut stems to the ground after frost in fall and remove old foliage from the garden.

Plant type

Perennial

Height

24-36"

Width

24-36"

Hardiness zones

3–8

Sunlight

Full Sun

Growth rate

Slow

Bloom time

Early Summer, Late Spring

Flower color

Red

Leaf color

Green

Attracts

Butterflies

Soil

Moist well-drained, Rich

Landscape use

Accent Plant, Border, Container, Mass Planting

Shape

Clump, Compact, Upright

Drought tolerant

No